Xv^ 


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OF  THE 

Theological    Seminary, 

PRINCETON,    N.  J. 

BV  3269  ,T55  *S27  1833  ' 
Sargent,  John,  1780-1833 
The  life  of  the  Rev.  T.T* 
Thomason  . 


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A      DONATION 


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THE  LIFE 


OP  THE 


REV.  T.  T.  THOMASON,  M.A. 


Extract  from  the  late  edition  of  the  Memoirs  of 
Henry  Martyn,  hy  the  American  Editor, 

"  The  names  of  few  will  be  recorded  in  the  annals 
of  India,  who  have  conferred  greater  benefits  upon  it 
than  Mr.  Thomason ;  and  the  Christian  Philanthro- 
pist, when  surveying  the  widely-extended  territories 
of  this  vast  continent,  and  reflecting  over  those  who 
have  counted  not  their  lives  dear  unto  themselves, 
that  they  might  plant  the  standard  of  the  Cross,  amid 
the  countless  myriads  of  fallen  but  immortal  spirits 
who  inhabit  it,  will  at  once  associate  in  his  mind, 
with  Kiernander,  and  Swartz,  and  Bro^vn,  and 
Buchanan,  and  Martyn,  and  Heber,  the  name  of 
Thomason,  as  a  no  less  true  friend  to  the  cause  of 
the  Redeemer."  B. 


THE  LIFE 


OF   THE 


EEV.  T.  T.  THOMASON,  M.  A. 

LA-TE  CHAPLAIN  TO  THE  HON.  EAST  INDIA  COMPANY. 


y    BY    THE 

REV.  J.  SARGENT,  M.A. 

RECTOR  OF  LAMNGTON, 

AUTHOR  OF  THE  MEMOIR  OF  HENRY  MARTYN, 


GvfAv  s'x^V.  HESIOD. 


NEW-YORK: 

D.  APPLETON  &  CO.  NO.  200  BROADWAY, 

AND   FOR  SALE   BY   BOOKSELLERS    GENERALLY  THROUGHOUT 
THE  UNITED  STATES. 

1833. 


NEW-YORK: 

R.  &  G.  S.  WOOD,  PRINTERS,  261  PEARI^STREE  J. 


DEDICATION. 


TO  THE  REV.  CHARLES  SIMEON,  M.A. 

SENIOR    FELLOW    OF   KING's    COLLEGE,    CAMBRIDGE. 


My  dear  Friend 


Allow  me,  without  your  knowledge 
and  concurrence,  to  inscribe  this  memoir  with 
your  name.  Honoured  and  beloved  as  it  was 
by  Mr.  Thomason,  the  propriety  of  the  inscription 
will  be  readily  acknowledged.  Other  reasons 
influence  me  on  this  occasion.  By  you  it  was 
that,  many  years  ago,  I  was  induced  to  prepare 
for  the  public  a  life  of  Henry  Martyn.  You 
again  have  now  pressed  upon  me  the  present 
work,  which,  though  like  the  former,  inadequately 
executed,   may  prove,  I  trust,  not  wholly  unac- 


W  DEDICATION. 

ceptable  to  the  Church  of  Christ,  nor  through 
his  aid  unprofitable.  To  you  above  all,  under 
God,  it  is  mainly  to  be  attributed,  that  I  am  able 
to  appreciate  the  exalted  principles  which  were 
the  pole-star  of  those  characters  I  have  endeav- 
oured to  delineate.  More  than  this,  I  will  not 
say  from  respect  to  the  delicacy  of  your  feelings  ; 
less  I  could  not  have  said  without  injustice  to 
my  own. 

I  remain,  my  dear  Friend, 

Your  most  grateful  and  affectionate, 

JOHN  SARGENT. 

Lavington,  March  20,  1833. 


if^ 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 


Birth — Early  Education — First  serious  impressions — 
Voyage  to  the  West  Indies       .         .         page  13 

CHAPTER  H. 

Acquaintance  loith  Mrs,  Thornton — Examination  by 
Mr,  Foster  and  Mr.  Cecil — Sent  by  the  Elland 
Society  to  Chesham — Mr*  darkens  character  as 
Tutor page  26 

CHAPTER  HI. 

Enters  at  Magdalen,  Cambridge — His  college  friends^ 
lifcj    and    tutors — Profits    by    the    ministry    of 


VUl  CONTENTS. 

Mr.  Simeon — His  trials — Mr.  Clarice's  death — 
Visit  to  Mr.  Venn — J^orrisian  'prize  gained — 
Thinks  of  leaving  college  for  the  East  Indies — 
Determination  changed  by  the  death  of  a  near 
relation — Completes  his  academical  studies — His 
degree page  46 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Reads  for  Holy  Orders — In  losing  the  JVorrisian  prize, 
displays  an  excellent  spirit — His  successful  com- 
petitor— Temporary  settlement  at  Baldoch — Ordi- 
nation as  Deacon — Undertakes  the  Curacies  of 
Trinity  Church  and  Stapleford — Becomes  Fellow 
and  Lecturer  at  Queen^s  College^ — Introduced  to 
Joseph  Milner — Commencement  of  Church  Mis- 
sionary Society — Stands  for  Lectureship  in  Hully 
and  Mastership  of  Grammar  School — Chosen  Tu- 
tor at  Queen's — Collegiate  perils — Revisits  Ches- 
ham — Mournful  reflections — Ordained  Priests- 
Marriage — Loses  Mrs.  Thornton      .       page  80 

CHAPTER  V. 

Domestic  happiness  at  Shelford — Mr.  Sowerhy — Pupils 
— His  object  in  taking  them  and  principles  as  In- 
structor— Repays  the  Elland  Society — Obtains  two 
JVorrisian  prizes — Mr.  Simeon's  account  of  his  mi- 
nisti^ — Antinomians  opposed  successfully — Clerical 
meetings — Severe  cifflictions — Resolves  to  preach 
to  the  Heathen — Origin  of  this  resolution — Letters 


CONTENTS.  IX 

on  this  subject — Invitation  to  South  Shields — His 
appointment  to  a  Chaplainship  at  Calcutta 

page  113 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Leaves  England — Funchal — Shipwreck — Arrival  at 
Calcutta page  144 

CHAPTER  Vn. 

Affecting  reception  by  Mr.  Brown  and  members  of  the 
Old  Church — Admirable  letter  to  Mr,  Simeon, 
concerning  his  shipwreck — Mr.  Simeon^s  reply-^ 
Ministrations  and  emploijments — Thoughts  on 
writing  sermons — Bible  Society  at  Calcutta — 
Indian  climate  and  habits — Illness — Interview  with 
H.  Martyn  ....        page  167 

CHAPTER  VHI. 

Progress  of  Bible  Society — Baptism  of  Abdool  Messee 
"^Ministry  prospers — Serampore  fire — Sickness 
and  death  of  Mr.  Brown — Death  of  Henry  Martyn 
■'—Incessant  labours — Messrs.  Judson  and  JS'ewell 
—^Proceedings  in  Parliament  concerning  Indian 
Missions — Lord  Moira  Governor- General — Inef" 
fectual  application  in  behalf  of  American  Mission^ 
uries — Their  solemn  protest-^ Commissioned  to 
draw  up  a  plan  for  general  education     page  197 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


Accompanies  Lord  Mnra  as  chaplain  through  the 
province — Feelings  at  Benares — Presses  ike  edu- 
cation of  the  natives  on  Lord  JVEoira — Tender  and 
exalted  recollections  at  Cawnpore — Admonishes  the 
Governor-General  for  violating  the  Sabbath — 
Visits  Delhi — Hears  with  pleasure  of  Bishop 
Middleton's  arrival       .         .         .         page  229 

CHAPTER  X. 

Reunion  imth  his  flock — Distress  at  SabaVs  apostacy 
— Termination  of  SabaVs  career — Founds  the 
Orphan  Institution — Reproved  by  one  of  his  flock 
— His  great  meekness — Prepares  young  pteoplefor 
confirmation— Hindoo  college — School  Book  So- 
ciety—  Church  Missionary  Society  in  Calcutta — 
Oriental  litei^ary  pursuits — Active  co-operation 
with  the  Bishop    ....         page  254 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Bishoph  College  at  C  ilcufta — Version  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament into  Hindostanee — Cautious  measures  ap- 
proved by  J\Tr.  Simeon — Most  affecting  incident — 
Death  of  Bishop  Middleton — Letter  concerning  the 
last  hours  of  the  Chief  Justice  of  Bengal — Arrival 
of  Bishop  Heber — Advancement  to  the  cathedral — 


CONTENTS.  Xi 

The  Bishop^s  opinion  of  Mr.  Thomason — Eindemic 
at  Calcutta — JWrs.  Thomason^s  health  declines — 
Passage  taken  for  England — Communications 
between  Mr.  Thomason  and  his  congregations- 
Commendations  of  the  Bishop  and  Governor-Gen^ 
eral  in  council      ....         page  285 

CHAPTER  XII.  . 

Death  of  Mrs.  Thomason — Return  to  England — 
*  Ministry  at  Cheltenham — Painful  mentcd  struggle 
— Decides  on  going  back  to  Calcutta — Forced  to 
quit  India  again  for  the  Mauritius — His  last 
incomparable  letter  to  his  mother — His  death  and 
character page  328 


A  MEMOIR. 


CHAPTER  I. 


The  Rev.  Thomas  Thomason  was  born  at  Ply- 
mouth, the  seventh  of  June,  1774;  and  until 
the  fifth  year  of  his  age,  Hved  under  the  care 
of  a  mother,  who,  within  a  year  after  his  birth, 
became  a  widow.  His  father,  for  the  purpose 
of  augmenting  a  scanty  income,  left  England  for 
the  West  Indies ;  and,  not  long  after  his  .arrival 
there,  w^as  carried  off  by  the  fever  so  prevalent 
in  that  climate.  His  mother  had  intended  to 
follow  her  husband  to  St.  Vincents ;  but  was 
doomed  to  shed  the  bitter  tears  of  distress  and 
desolation  over  the  head  of  a  fatherless  child, 
whom  it  was  her  sole  and  anxious  concern  to 
nurse  and  educate.  Circumstances  affecting  as 
these,  rarely  fail  to  heighten  the  reciprocations 
of  fondness  between  parents  and  children:  nor 
was  this  observation  ever  more  fully  verified  than 
in  the  present  instance. 

2 


14  MEMOIR    OF   THE  .JP, 

Having  left  Devonshire  for  London,  four  years 
after  her  bereavement,  Mrs.  Thomason  placed 
her  son  in  a  school  at  Greenwich,  under  the 
superintendence  of  Mr.  Bakewell.  There,  to 
adopt  her  own  words,  '  the  affectionate  care  of  one 
of  the  tutors  over  the  spiritual  instruction  of  one 
who  was  my  world  of  happiness,  was  beyond 
all  praise.'  For  sometime,  nothing  appeared  in 
this  boy,  notwithstanding  these  Christian  endea- 
vours, beyond  sweetness  of  temper,  quickness 
of  apprehension,  docility,  and  diligence.  'My 
views  of  happiness,'  he  himself  states,  on  a  re- 
view of  this  period,  '  were  those  of  my  school- 
fellows, and  never  stretched  further  than  a  juvenile 
game,  or  the  pleasure  of  spending  a  month  every 
half-year  with  my  friends.' 

In  his  ninth  year,  a  marked  blessing  descended 
on  his  tutor's  unremitting  exertions,  and  he 
began  to  shew  so  much  spirituality  of  feeling, 
and  such  decision  of  character,  as  to  constitute 
this  a  distinct  era  in  his  life.  '  Frequent  questions 
on  the  scriptures,  and  application  of  them  to 
mankind  and  to  himself,  so  affected  him,  that  he 
saw  himself  to  be  a  sinner,  far  from  God  and  hap- 
piness, and  he  felt  that  his  whole  dependance  must 
be  on  the  mercy  of  God,  through  Christ.'  He  thus 
describes  the  alteration  in  his  sentiments  and 
conduct ;  nor  was  change  ever  more  clear.  From 
scarcely  knowing  any  joy  beyond  that  of  boyish 


,% 


REV.    THOM\S    THOMASON.  15 


pastimes,  he  would  then  take  pleasure  in  holding 
communion  with  Him  who  is  invisible,  during 
those  intervals  which  were  allotted  to  relaxation 
and  amusement.  '  I  began,'  (he  writes)  '  to  find 
confidence  in  prayer:  and  in  proportion  as  I 
did  so,  happiness ;  and  this  happiness  was  so 
great,  that  I  bore  contempt  without  murmuring :' 
for  though  Mr.  Bakewell,  and  one  of  the  other 
masters  in  this  institution,  favored  whatever  was 
excellent,  the  current  of  the  school  itself  set 
strongly  in  an  opposite  direction.  Hif5  corres- 
pondence with  his  mother  also,  young  as  he  then 
was,  bore  immediate  marks  of  his  altered  opin- 
ions ;  and,  at  length,  it  issued — so  wonderful 
are  the  ways,  so  marvellous  the  grace  of  God — 
in  her  maternal  love  and  anxiety  being  largely 
repaid  by  lasting  spiritual  benefit.  And,  though 
of  so  tender  an  age,  he  w^as  not  without  desires 
of  one  day  becoming  a  minister.  *  I  longed,' 
he  says,  *  to  impart  to  others  the  happiness  I  felt 
myself 

An  extract  from  a  letter,  written  soon  after  his 
twelfth  year,  will  shew  that  the  seeds  of  real  re- 
ligion, did  not  lie  merely  upon  the  surface  of  his 
mind,  but  had  become  radicated  in  his  affections. 

October  9,  1786. 
* Eternity  ! — what  a  word,  when  you  con- 


sider it  is  eternity.     1  hope  you  and  I,  and  our 


16  MEMOIR    OF   THE 


>ff. 


parents  and  relations  will  be  among  the  blessed. 
God  is  to  be  praised  for  his  bountiful  and  ever- 
lasting goodness  to  us — it  is  bountiful,  because 
he  is  good  to  us  when  we  most  want  it ;  and 
everlasting,  because  he  will  never  leave  it  off. — 
If  you  can — tell  me  of  any  love  greater  than 
offering  up  a  Son  for  vile  wretches, — if  you  can, 
tell  me ; — but  it  will  be  a  hard  thing  for  you  to 
do  it.     What  love  !  what  amazing  love !  ' 

That  classical  studies  had  not  been  neglected, 
whilst  the  mind  was  raised  to  high  and  heavenly 
things,  a  distinction  which  at  this  time  awaited 
him,  affords  abundant  evidence.  The  Society 
for  the  encouragement  of  Arts  and  Sciences  in 
the  Adelphi,  having  offered  a  silver  medal  to 
that  youth  who  could  write  and  speak  the  best 
Latin,  young  Thomason  entered  the  lists,  and 
was  pronounced  the  successful  candidate. 

The  transition  from  the  state  of  a  scholar  to 
that  of  a  teacher,  is  rapid  sometimes,  and  pre- 
mature;  it  was  so  in  the  case  of  this  youth;  for 
at  the  age  of  thirteen  we  find  him  engaged  in 
the  work  of  tuition  at  Deptford.  In  this  employ- 
ment he  continued  till  Midsummer  1789 ;  when 
being  a  proficient  in  the  French  tongue,  and 
Dr.  Coke  wanting  an  interpreter  in  ttiat  language, 
he  was  persuaded  to  accompany  the  Doctor  in 
that  capacity  to  the  West  Indies. 

That    this    appointment    was    favorable    in    a 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  17 

pecuniary  point  of  view  cannot  be  questioned, 
nor  will  those  most  alive  to  any  evils  incident 
to  the  Wesleyan  system,  deny  that  a  young  person 
witnessing  what  has  been  compared  by  Paley 
to  the  habits  of  the  early  Christians,  was  not 
devoid  of  many  valuable  aids  to  piety,  though  he 
might  be  exposed  also  to  some  disadvantages. 
As  diseases  generally  seize  upon  the  feeble  and 
peccant  part  of  the  human  frame,  so  is  it  with 
the  mind.  When  its  temperament  is  morbid, 
the  infection  of  error  is  readily  imbibed.  One 
of  this  stamp,  especially  before  a  full  develope- 
ment  of  character,  would  have  been  more  ready 
to  imitate  defects  than  excellences.  But  the 
judgment  of  this  youth,  plastic  as  it  might  be 
supposed  to  be,  was  so  solid,  and  his  whole 
turn  of  thinking  of  so  sober  a  cast,  that  he  re- 
ceived nothing  but  unalloyed  benefit  from  his 
temporary  connexion  with  Dr.  Coke. 

In  an  account  of  his  voyage  to  the  West  Indies, 
drawn  up  '  for  his  own  improvement,  and  his 
mother's  satisfaction,' — his  every  purpose  and 
every  action  had  some  respect  to  her — we  have 
these  remarks,  which,  if,  like  the  letter  quoted 
before,  they  occasionally  betray  the  boy,  do 
throughout  exhibit  the  Christian. 

*  October  25,  1789. — As  soon  as  we  came  to 
Greenwich,  I  could  not  help  giving  an  affec- 
tionate farewell  look  to  that  place  where  I  spent 


18  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

SO  much  time,  and  received  those  instructions  of 
which  I  now  reap  the  advantage. 

*  Monday,  27. — I  spent  a  few  heavenly  moments 
in  reading  Mrs.  Rowe's  Meditations  and  Dr. 
Watt's  Poems.  I  thought  if  my  mother  knew 
but  half  the  spiritual  happiness  I  felt,  how  would 
it  cheer  her  spirit. 

'  Friday,  November  7. — I  cannot  help  pitying 
those  who  remain  ill,   (some  of  the  missionaries,) 

Mr. and ,  but  what  a  recompense  will 

they  receive  when  instruments  in  the  hands  of 
God,  of  converting  many  to  righteousness.  May 
God  increase  the  desires  /  already  have  of  being  an 
assistant  in  that  blessed  work,  and  effect  the  object 
of  my  desires. 

*  Saturday,  8. — Wind  still  against  us.  I  found 
myself  peculiarly  happy.  I  can  pass  over  the 
Atlantic  without  fear.     I  have  no  reason  to  fear. 

'Sunday,  9. — Was  deep  in  thought  to-day. 
Death  presented  itself  to  my  imagination.  This 
led  me  thoroughly  to  examine  whether  I  was 
prepared  for  that  solemn  change.  Stricken  with 
shame,  I  fell  on  my  knees,  and  if  ever  I  prayed 
earnestly,  I  did  then. 

*  Tuesday,  18, — A  very  tempestuous  day.  The 
ship  rolls  prodigiously.  Take  away  from  me,  O 
Lord,  the  fear  of  dying. 

'  Tuesday,  25. — Was  pensive  during  the  day 
with  regai'd  to  futurity,  but  being  warned  to  take 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  19 

no  thought  for  the  morrow,  I  desisted  from 
further  anxieties. 

*  Thursday,  December  4. — This  morning  we 
came  in  sight  of  land.  O,  with  what  pleasure  did 
I  view  the  long-wished-for  Barbadoes  !  With  what 
ecstacy  did  I  view  the  plains  and  mountains.  O, 
that  I  may  not  forget  God  in  the  midst  of  my 
happiness.  Surely,  my  dearest  mother,  you  cannot 
help  being  sensible  of  my  joy.  Praise  God  with 
me  for  bringing  me  safe  to  Barbadoes,  after  a 
voyage  of  five  weeks  and  four  days.' 

A  youth  between  fifteen  and  sixteen  in  the 
West  Indies,  could  want  no  topics  of  excitement 
by  day  or  by  night.  The  wonders  of  another 
hemisphere  would  not  allow  his  curiosity  and 
surprise  a  moment's  slumber.  Cocoa-nut  trees 
and  humming-birds  by  day,  fire-flies  and  mus- 
quitoes  by  night,  were  either  his  pleasure  or 
torment.  But  these  obtained  the  least  portion 
of  his  regard.  Matters  of  high  interest  rivetted 
his  attention,  and  awakened  his  concern. 

At  St.  Vincent's  he  proceeds  :  '  We  were  hos- 
pitably received.     Mrs. was  particularly  kind 

to  me,  declaring  she  would  make  some  litde 
amends  for  my  want  of  a  mother,  by  doing  all 
in  her  power  to  make  me  happy. 

*  December  14. — We  set  off  on  our  way  to  the 
Caribbs.  The  Negro  villages  as  we  passed  had  a 
very  odd  appearance  :   they  look  like   so  many 


20  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

brown  heaps  of  dirt ;  they  are  made  of  straw, 
lightly  thatched :  they  are  wretched  hovels,  but 
the  order  in  which  they  are  built  makes  amends. 
We  had  a  tremendous  mountain  to  pass,  so  rugged 
we  could  not  even  lead  our  horses,  till  a  company 
of  Caribbs,  the  first  we  had  met,  lent  us  their 
cutlasses  to  cut  open  a  way.  After  having  passed 
this  mountain,  we  came  to  a  beautiful  plain, 
seven  miles  long ;  this  may  be  termed  the  Ca- 
ribbean coast.  Our  route  lay  along  the  sandy 
beach,  close  to  the  sea  shore.  Here  the  Caribb 
children,  all  naked,  met  us  by  the  hundred. 
The  freedom  they  made  with  the  boisterous 
ocean  is  astonishing ;  they  would  rush  into  it 
with  all  the  composure  imaginable ;  at  the  ap- 
proach of  a  wave,  they  would  dive  under,  and 
not  appear  till  the  raging  billow  had  spent  its 
force,  when  their  fleecy  locks  would  be  seen 
again  like  so  many  little  black  rocks.  Our 
astonished  Caribbs  seemed  very  glad  to  see  us, 
and  by  their  tender  and  frequent  huzzas,  wel- 
comed us  to  their  yet  unseen  habitations.  What 
struck  me  most  was  their  warlike  appearance; 
they  all  carried  cudasses,  knives,  and  guns. 
They  delighted  me  much  by  the  generosity 
of  spirit  they  possessed.  Their  savage  look 
and  warlike  appearance,  were  made  up  by  the 
simplicity  and  cheerfulness  they  manifested. 
They  are  docile.     I  heard    two  of  them  read 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  21 

and  spell,  and  the  progress  they  had  made 
astonished  me.' 

On  their  return  from  the  Caribb  country,  which 
they  left  with  much  regret,  they  set  sail  for 
Dominica,  where,  after  a  tedious  passage,  they 
arrived  December  19.  Here  the  sight  of  the  slave 
population  called  into  painful  action  the  passions 
of  pity  and  righteous  indignation,  in  one  to  whom 
scenes  of  oppression  being  new  were  therefore  the 
more  revolting.  He  thus  winds  up  his  comments 
on  the  state  of  his  degraded  fellow-creatures. 
*  There  is,  it  is  true,  some  alleviation  of  their 
misery :  they  are  not  sensible  of  their  unhappy 
condition ;  but  this  insensibility  increases,  or  ought 
to  increase,  our  compassion.  How  came  they  to 
be  insensible  of  their  condition  ?  they  were  born 
so — How  came  they  to  be  born  so  ?  Their  parents 
were  slaves,  and  so  the  genealogy  proceeds  till  at 
last  the  unhappy  creatures  are  found  to  have  been 
torn  from  their  native  country,  and  deprived  of 
friends  and  happiness.' 

The  following  exhibition  in  Antigua  proved  a 
balm  to  Christian  feelings  wounded  deeply  by  the 
wrongs  of  humanity. 

By  noon  we  arrived  at  our  destined  place,  where 
was  a  congregation  of  1200  blacks.  They  were 
seated  on  benches  on  a  small  declivity.  The  Doctor 
stood  on  a  chair  under  a  shed,  and  preached  to 
them  on  Phil.  iii.  20.     The  negroes  wept  much. 


23^  MEMOIR   OP   THE 

Visiting  the  Dutch  island  of  Eustatius,  they 
encountered  an  edict  worthy  of  the  days  of 
Dioclesian.  This  was  its  tenor: — If  any  white 
person  shall  be  found  praying  with  his  brethren, 
for  the  first  offence  he  shall  be  fined  fifty  pieces  of 
eight ;  for  the  second,  one  hundred ;  for  the  third, 
he  shall  be  whipped,  his  goods  confiscated,  and 
he  banished.  If  a  coloured  person  shall  be  found 
praying,  for  the  first  offence  he  shall  receive 
thirty-nine  lashes;  for  the  second,  he  shall  be 
fined,  whipped,  and  banished:  but  if  a  slave,  he 
shall  be  whipped  every  time. 

Notwithstanding  this  atrocious  law,  it  is  delight- 
ful to  know  that  the  party  were  received  into 
the  house  of  one  who  was  willing  to  risk  his 
character  and  means  of  subsistence,  out  of  love 
to  his  Saviour,  and  to  those  who  appeared  in 
his  name.  '  Surely,'  said  one  of  those  who 
were  received  under  his  hospitable  roof,  'the 
Lord  will  prove  his  rock  and  shield,  and  will 
abundantly  reward  him  in  the  day  of  accounts 
at  the  end  of  time.'  To  the  blacks  who  crowded 
about  the  house,  a  sermon  was  delivered,  on 
the  text,  "  I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  gospel  of 
Christ ;"  but  the  preacher  was  soon  obliged  to 
quit  the  island. 

From  St.  Kitt's,  whither  they  returned,  they 
proceeded  to  Saba.  This  island  was  under  Dutch 
government,  but  very  different  from  that  of  St. 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  23 

Eustatius.  There  all  was  kindness  and  cor- 
diality, peace  and  loveliness.  The  neatness  of 
the  town  and  its  beautiful  regularity  was  an  agree- 
able sight;  it  is  built  on  a  delightful  terrace — 
screened  on  all  sides  from  the  winds  by  lofty 
mountains,  except  on  the  side  opposite  the  sea- 
shore where  it  is  exposed  to  the  refreshing  fannings 
of  the  breeze.  The  governor  treated  those  who 
then  visited  the  island  most  courteously ;  he  him- 
self, with  the  authorities  of  the  place,  attended 
the  prayers  and  sermon  in  the  evening,  on  which 
occasion  many  infants  were  brought  for  baptism, 
whose  beauty  seems  to  have  made  an  impression 
similar  to  that  of  the  English  of  old  on  the 
Romans.  *  They  were  of  beauty  such  as  w^e  had 
not  seen  before — their  color  more  angelic  than 
mortal.'  Such  is  his  description  of  Saba,  and 
substantially  no  doubt  it  is  correct,  yet  the 
vividness  of  the  delineation  may  possibly  have 
been  heightened  by  unconscious  reference  to 
St.  Eustatius,  and  by  recollection  of  the  counte- 
nance of  the  Caribbs  and  negroes. 

After  the  tranquil  and  sacred  delights  of  Saba — 
at  Jamaica  a  sight  was  witnessed  from  the  recital 
of  which,  making  as  it  does  part  and  parcel  of  a 
system  of  atrocity,  one  '  turns  for  relief  to  some 
ordinary  wickedness.' 

'We  breakfasted  at  the  plantation  on  balm  tea 
and  Indian  bread,  a  repast  at  the  best  not  very 


24  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

agreeable.  But  how  was  my  appetite  lessened 
by  what  happened  during  the  meal !  The  over- 
seer had  ordered  a  slave  to  walk  our  horse  till  we 
went  away.  He  did  so,  and  permitted  him  now 
and  then  to  crop  a  mouthful  of  grass.  The  over- 
seer observing  him,  called  the  under-overseer  and 
ordered  him  a  dozen  lashes.  Detestable  cruelty! 
how  did  it  shock  my  feelings.  I  could  hear  the 
whip  resounding  from  afar,  whilst  the  miserable 
sufferer  gave  a  loud  and  heart-rending  groan  in 
the  intervals  of  striking.  I  hastened  to  leave  the 
hated  spot,  and  my  return  was  attended  with  as 
much  melancholy  as  my  departure  was  attended 
with  pleasure. 

Of  his  merciful  preservation  from  the  deep 
before  quitting  Jamaica,  we  have  this  grateful  and 
graphic  recital : — 

"  We  set  off  in  our  canoe  to  our  brig  with  the 
intention  of  sailing  that  night ;  the  evening  was 
stormy  and  it  was  almost  dark.  The  water  was 
very  rough — our  canoe  small.  When  about  half 
way,  I  observed  the  water  poured  in  with  great 
violence.  The  wind  and  rain  increased.  The 
canoe  was  within  three  inches  of  being  full :  our 
consternation  was  great;  and  I  firmly  believe 
if  the  Keeper  of  Israel,  who  neither  slumbers 
nor  sleeps,  had  not  been  with  us,  I  had  not  been 
now  in  existence.'  By  very  great  exertions,  and 
baling   out   the  water,  they  at   length   reached 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  25 

their  vessel.  *  We  arrived,'  he  says,  *  and  praised 
the  God  of  our  salvation.  And  who  such  a  God 
as  he  !  The  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  for  ever. 
I  hope  I  shall  never  forget  his  care  over  me  while 
I  live.  My  situation  was  as  dangerous  as  possi- 
ble ;  a  boat  almost  full  of  water,  loaded  with  men, 
striving  against  wind,  rain,  and  sea.  But  "the 
waters  saw  thee,  O  God,  the  waters  saw  thee, 
and  were  afraid."  God  supported  us  ;  he  said  to 
the  sea,  "  Thus  far  shalt  thou  go,  and  no  further." 
The  ocean  obeyed  the  voice  of  its  Almighty  So- 
vereign. Did  we  feel  ourselves  sinking  ?  Yes- — 
and  we  felt  God  raising  us  up.  Did  we  feel  the 
watery  bed  open  to  receive  us  ?  We  felt  also  a 
potent  deliverer  to  protect.  Praise  the  Lord,  O 
our  souls :  while  we  live  we  will  praise  the  Lord. 
As  long  as  we  have  our  being  we  will  give  thanks 
unto  our  God.' 

Breathing  a  hope  that  his  journal  would  not 
be  unacceptable  to  his  mother,  for  whom  it  had 
been  prepared,  he  closes  it  thus — 'The  keeper 
of  Israel  neither  slumbers  nor  sleeps:  he  hath 
watched  over  me  and  preserved  me  ; — come  then, 
expressive  silence,  muse  his  praise.' 


26  MEMOIR   OP   THE 


CHAPTER  II. 


In  tracing  the  course  of  individuals  as  well  as 
nations,  we  should  mark  the  springing  of  the 
original  fountain  and  the  influx  of  each  tribu- 
tary stream:  and,  above  all,  we  should  notice 
that  which  commands  especial  admiration — the 
concurrence  of  God's  providence  with  his  grace. 

How  he,  whose  life  is  before  us,  became  ac- 
quainted with  scriptural  truth,  we  have  heard : 
we  are  now  to  learn  how  the  way  was  levelled  for 
his  admission  into  that  sphere  where,  according  to 
his  earliest  hopes  and  confirmed  purposes,  he  was 
to  impart  to  others  the  doctrines  which  he  had 
learnt,  experienced,  and  exemplified  himself. 

An  honoured  instrument  in  compassing  this  end 
was,  a  lady  of  the  name  of  Thornton,  to  whom  he 
became  known  soon  after  his  return  from  the 
West  Indies.  Her  aflfection  for  him  was  almost 
maternal.  It  was  warm  and  unvaried  ;  shining 
upon  him  with  a  steady  lustre  from  the  morning 
of  his  mature  and   active  existence  to   the  close 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  27 

of  her  own  declining  days.  And  to  this,  like 
the  statue  in  the  rays  of  the  rising  sun,  his  soul 
was  ever  responsive  to  the  deepest  tones  of  ardent 
gratitude. 

That  sound  discrimination  was  evinced  in  cher- 
ishing his  inclination  towards  the  ministry,  will 
be  conceded  without  difficulty.  His  remarks 
abroad  are  indications  of  a  wisdom,  at  his  age,  by 
no  means  ordinary,  and  of  a  piety  still  more  rare. 
The  meekness  and  firmness  he  displayed  under 
the  ridicule  of  his  school-fellows,  shewed  that  he 
had  not  adopted  notions  only,  but  had  become  the 
recipient  of  vital  principles.  The  mockery  of 
associates,  coming  down  on  the  head  of  a  sufferer 
who  *  abates  not  a  jot  of  heart  or  hope,  but  presses 
right  onward,'  is  no  slight  test  of  character.  How 
little  disposed  he  was  to  play  the  coward  in  the 
Christian  warfare  may  be  seen  in  a  letter  which 
he  wrote  at  this  time  to  a  relation  and  cotempo- 
rary,  with  whom  religion  was  a  foi-mal,  cold, 
periodical  exhibition,  rather  than  a  matter  of  heart- 
felt universal  practice ;  armour  to  be  laid  up  and 
gazed  upon  rather  than  a  shield  worn  always  on 
the  arm.  The  questions  he  puts  in  reply  to 
charges  of  excessive  strictness,  are  so  pertinent 
and  pungent,  they  are  plied  so  like  a  battery  when 
the  engineer  has  found  the  range,  that  it  must 
have  required  no  little  dexterity  to  elude  their 
force. 


28  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

*  You  intimate  that  religion  is  not  needful  for  us 
at  all  times.  Going  to  church,  prayers  morning  and 
evening,  grace  before  and  after  meals,  you  observe, 
are  all  very  w^ell.  You  say  you  recommend  going 
to  church.  Why  so!  *May  not  a  man  stay 
away?'  You  tell  me  *No.'  Permit  me  to  ask 
your  reason  for  so  thinking.  '  Is  it  not  because 
you  think  that  you  have  a  soul  to  save,  a  heaven 
to  obtain ;  and  that  by  so  doing  you  will  save 
your  soul  and  obtain  heaven.  But  is  there  not 
the  same  soul  to  be  saved  and  the  same  heaven 
to  obtain,  in  church  and  out  of  church,  in  doors 
and  out  of  doors,  in  our  business  and  out  of  our 
business :  grant  me  this,  and  you  must  allow  that 
devotion  is  necessary  in  church  and  out  of 
church,  in  doors  and  out  of  doors,  in  your  busi- 
ness and  out  of  it;  and  that  prayer  is  to  be 
exercised,  not  only  at  particular  times  and  places, 
but  habitually,  continually,  always ;  because  habi- 
tually, continually,  always,  we  have  a  soul  to 
save  and  a  heaven  to  obtain.' 

At  Elland,  in  Yorkshire,  a  society  existed — it 
still  lives,  and  is  vigorous  in  well-doing — the  sole 
object  of  which  was,  the  highly  important  one 
of  spreading  a  fostering  wing  over  those  aspirants 
to  the  ministry  of  the  church  of  England  whose 
means  were  not  sufficient  to  enable  them  to  take 
the  necessary  degree  at  the  university.  By  the 
advice  of  Mrs.   Thornton,  application  was  now 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  29 

made  to  this  institution,  the  transcendant  utility 
of  which  will  be  at  once  seen,  when  it  is  known 
that  neither  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  nor  many 
others  who  have  been,  and  who  now  are  ornaments 
of  our  church,  would  ever,  in  all  probability  have 
become  her  ministers,  but  for  support  derived 
from  that  source.  The  late  Rev.  Henry  Foster, 
and  the  Rev.  Richard  Cecil,  were  deputed  by 
the  directors  of  the  Elland  fund  to  examine  the 
pretensions  of  the  young  man  who  now  presented 
himself  before  them.  Two  fitter  men  for  the 
discharge  of  this  important  trust  could  not  have 
been  selected :  the  one  of  no  mean  talents,  and 
eminent  in  every  eye  but  his  own  for  spirituality  : 
the  other,  to  intellectual  powers  of  great  compass 
and  originality,  joining  what  was  still  more  valu- 
able in  an  examiner,  a  standard  and  practice  singu- 
larly pure  and  apostolical. 

Those  who  pass  through  life  with  a  smooth 
current  and  favourable  gale,  little  think  of  their 
endurances  who  have  to  stem  the  stream.  '  Have 
I  money  or  lands  ?  Have  I  any  present  advan- 
tages ? — My  portion  is  small,  and  my  hopes  and 
prospects  rest  all  in  the  hands  of  that  Almighty 
Being  who  has  hitherto  kept  me.  Without  this 
assurance  my  comfort  would  be  at  a  very  low 
ebb.'  Such  was  the  expression  of  his  feelings, 
who  was  compelled  to  have  recourse  to  Christian 

friends  for  his  maintenance  at  college ;  and  who, 
3* 


30  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

not  without  some  perturbation,  yet  with  implicit 
reliance  upon  his  Heavenly  Father,  awaited  his 
examination,  and  its  decisive  result.  What  passed 
on  this  occasion,  he  hias  recorded ;  and  as  it  is 
illustrative  of  his  sentiments,  and  those  of  a  class 
of  ministers  then  held  in  high  contempt,  and  still 
much  misunderstood,  it  may  be  well  to  refer  to 
this  record. 

*  The  chief  topics  of  inquiry  with  Mr.  Foster 
and  Mr.  Cecil,  were  sudden  impulses  and  sin- 
less perfection.  As  to  Calvinism  and  Arminian- 
ism,  the  points  I  chiefly  expected  to  be  men- 
tioned, how  agreeably  I  was  deceived  when 
Mr.  Foster  remarked,  '  that  if  St.  Paul,  so 
great  an  apostle,  said, — "  here  we  know  in 
part" — how  much  more  nmy  we ; — he  was  de- 
cided for  himself,  and  would  let  others  think 
for  themselves.' 

.  *  Mr.  Cecil  asked  me, — '  What  is  your  reason 
for  preferring  the  church  establishment  to  Mr. 
Wesley's  connection.'  I  observed,  '  From  the 
first  moment  of  my  having  any  views  to 
the  ministry,  they  have  been  directed  to  the 
church  ;  which  might  arise  from  my  having 
been  a  constant  attendant  on  the  service  of  the 
church,  when  at  School,  and  the  pleasure  I  then 
felt  in  it.  These  views,  and  this  esteem  for  the 
church,  have  remained  with  me.  The  excellence 
of  its  economy  strengthens  me  in  the  preference  ; 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  31 

added  to  which,  it  is  the  establishment  of   the 
kingdom.' 

*  I  should  be  glad  to  know,'  said  Mr.  C,  *  what 
you  think  of  perfection?'  *I  told  him  I  thought 
perfection  consisted  in  being  blameless  in  life 
and  conversation,  and  in  setting  the  affections  on 
things  above  ;  and  that,  to  that  I  was  continu- 
ally aspiring.' 

*But,'  said  Mr.  C,  *many  believe  and  profess 
more.'  *  I  told  him  so  it  seemed.  For  Mr. 
Foster  mentioned  having  heard  Dr.  Coke  preach, 
that  whilst  one  evil  thought  remained  in  the 
soul,  it  was  not  born  of  God.  But  I  never  heard 
him  preach  or  profess  it.' 

'  And  with  regard  to  the  Calvinists  and  Ar- 
minians, — whose  opinions  do  you  follow  V 

'  Indeed,  sir,'  said  I,  '  I  have  never  read  a  book 
on  the  subject,  except  the  Bible,  in  my  life.  I 
have  always  made  it  a  point  to  leave  those  things  ; 
as  I  think  it  productive  of  evil  io  dive  into  intri- 
cacies which  can  never  be  perfectly  cleared.' 

*  You  think,'  said  he,  *  very  rightly ;  I  have 
acted  in  the  same  manner  myself.  I  make  it  a 
point  never  to  handle  these  things  in  public. 
But  you  say  you  have  read  the  Bible, — what 
views  do  you  gather  from  the  Bible  V 

*  Sir,'  said  I,  '  my  views,  as  gathered  from  the 
Bible,  are  simply  these, — "  God  so  loved  the 
world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son  that 


32  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

whosoever  believeth   in  him    should  not  perish, 
but  have  everlasting  life." ' 

The  period  of  suspense  between  the  report 
of  the  examiners,  and  the  determination  of  the 
society,  for  some  unexplained  cause,  lasted  long. 

It  was  not  till  the  spring  of  1791  that,  after 
an  interview  with  one  of  the  directors  of  the 
Elland  Institution,  his  final  acceptance  was  sig- 
nified. '  I  am  accepted,'  he  w^rites  to  his  mother, 
March  18,  1791  ; — '  no  doubt  your  heart  over- 
flows with  gratitude.  I  am  sure  mine  does.  Mr. 
Atkinson  is  quite  a  father  to  me  ;  the  kindness 
I  have  experienced  in  Leeds  far  eclipses  all 
other  favours.  "  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul ! 
and  all  that  is  within  me,  bless  his  holy  name." 
'  Though  his  voice  be  not  audible,'  (as  Judge 
Hale  observes,)  '  nor  the  directions  he  gives 
perceptible  to  sense,  yet  it  is  as  real  as  if 
we  heard  the  voice  saying,  "This  is  the  way, 
walk  ye  in  it." ' 

The  agency  of  God  in  human  affairs  is  dis- 
cernible on  every  side.  But  next  to  the  case 
of  nations,  those  mighty  waters,  on  which  the 
breath  of  man  makes  so  slight  an  impression,  and 
upon  which  God  moves  so  sensibly,  it  is  pecu- 
liarly evident  in  such  an  instance  as  that  before 
us ; — the  son  of  a  mother  left  in  the  desolation 
of  widowhood.  There  the  Father  of  the  father- 
less, and  the  God  of  the  widow,  makes  his  love 


REV.   THOMAS    THOMASON.  33 

SO  legible,  that  those  who  are  the  least  observant 
of  providence,  cannot  but  read  the  lines.  Where 
was  this  orphan  ever  placed  in  which  some  one 
was  not  raised  up  to  exercise  towards  him  a  dis- 
position almost  parental  ? 

In  the  suitableness  and  kindness  of  the  con- 
ductor of  those  studies  which  were  to  prepare 
Mr.  Thomason  for  college,  these  observations  are 
fully  substantiated.  A  clergyman  of  the  name 
of  Clark,  of  Chesham  Bois,  in  Buckingham- 
shire, at  the  recommendation  of  the  Elland  So- 
ciety, who  were  to  pay  simply  for  his  board, 
agreed  to  instruct  him  without  any  remuneration. 
For  this  task  he  was  well  qualified.  Time  had 
indeed  laid  the  weight  of  seventy  years  upon 
his  head,  but  his  strength  of  body  and  mind 
were  unimpaired;  and  the  warmth  of  his  heart, 
glowing  with  love  to  God  and  man,  was  unabated. 
But  two  of  his  pupils,  the  one  writing  at  the 
time,  the  other  taking  an  extended  retrospect, 
shall  depict  their  tutor. — 

'April  16,  1791. 
'He  is  past  the  age  of  man,'  Mr.  Thomason 
writes,  '  yet  as  vigorous  as  ever.  Every  Sunday 
morning  he  preaches  and  reads  all  the  prayers, 
at  a  church  distant  nine  miles  from  this  place ; 
he  reads  the  prayers  and  preaches  at  this  church 
in    the    afternoon;    and    expounds    in    his    own 


34  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

house  in  the  evening.  His  earnestness  and  love 
for  souls  are  so  great,  I  look  at  him,  and  hear 
him  with  admiration.  In  conversation,  his 
cheerfulness  and  vivacity  can  be  compared  to 
nothing  but  that  of  a  person  of  eighteen.  He 
abounds  in  tales  and  humour ;  and  they  are 
made  channels  of  instruction.  Tv^o  children^ 
whom  he  boards  in  his  ow^n  house,  declare  they 
never  were  so  happy  as  in  his  company.  In  his 
school  he  is  equally  pleasing.  The  more  ques- 
tions his  pupils  ask,  the  better  he  is  pleased; 
and  he  will  not  let  us  pass  over  one  word  till 
it  is  well  understood.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  be 
taught  by  such  a  master,  and  a  satisfaction  to 
carry  to  him  the  fruits  of  our  labour.' 

*That  venerable  and  truly  excellent  minister, 
the  late  Mr.  Clark,' — to  adopt  the  description 
and  the  very  words  of  one*  who  writes  with  a 
warmth  and  freshness  of  feeling,  which  no  lapse 
of  years  can  impair — 'for  nearly  half  a  century 
was  the  learned  and  indefatigable  tutor  of  some 
of  the  most  distinguished  men,  both  as  laymen 
and  clergymen,  of  the  times  in  which  he  lived. 
It  having  been  my  privilege  to  receive  his  last 
instructions  as  a  tutor,  I  could  not  prevail  upon 
myself  to  omit  the  opportunity  of  recording  the 
respect  I  feel  for  the  memory  of  one  of  the  most 

*  The  Rev.  Charles  Jerram,  Vicar  of  Chobham. 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  35 

learned,  humble,  and  useful  men  of  the  last 
century,  and  the  rather  so  as  he  was  not  only 
the  beloved  and  highly  venerated  tutor  of  my 
friend,  Mr.  Thomason,  but  one  of  the  most  efficient 
agents  in  the  revival  of  religion  in  our  church 
towards  the  middle  and  conclusion  of  the  last 
century.  Many  clergymen  whom  I  could  name 
of  the  most  decided  piety  and  popular  talents, 
but  most  of  whom  along  with  this  esteemed  tutor 
have  now  entered  into  rest,  received  both  their 
education  and  their  deepest  religious  impressions 
under  his  roof.' 

In  a  fellow  student,  whose  destination  was  simi- 
lar to  his  own,  Mr.  Thomason  found  as  much  reason 
to  congratulate  himself  as  in  his  instructor.  The 
first  beams  of  the  morning  sun  shone  upon  their 
united  labours,  before  which  they  bent  their  knees 
together  in  prayer,  and  hfted  up  their  voice  in 
praise.  Social  devotion  closed  the  day.  The 
place  where  these  two  friends  pursued  their 
combined  studies  was  well  adapted  to  such  an 
occupation,  presenting  nothing  to  distract  their 
attention  beyond  rural  sights  and  rural  sounds; 
and  so  harmoniously  did  they  pass  their  time, 
that  the  only  assignable  ground  of  difference 
between  them  was,  that  the  one  enjoyed  highly^ 
the  other  had  no  love  whatever  for  the  song  of 
the  nightingale. 

In  addition  to  the  usual  plan  of  preparatory 


36  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

reading,  the  study  of  Hebrew,  more  unaccount- 
ably neglected  in  England  than  in  any  other 
country,  was  at  Chesham  pursued  perseveringly . 
Utter  ignorance  of  the  language  in  which  the 
Old  Testament  is  written,  is  by  scholars  amongst 
ourselves  as  unblushingly  avowed,  as  an  irritable 
temper,  or  a  defective  memory,  amongst  men 
in  general.  To  be  unacquainted  with  a  Greek 
idiom  or  dialect,  carries  with  it  some  disgrace ; 
but  not  to  know  the  most  elemental  parts  of  the 
Hebrew  tongue,  is  no  deduction  from  literary 
reputation :  and  yet,  "  Hebrasi  bibunt  fontes ; 
Graeci  rivos ;  Latini  paludes."  As  India  at  this 
time,  had  never  occurred  as  a  probable  field  of 
exertion,  the  secret  guidance  of  God  should  be 
recognized  in  directing  a  future  translator  of  the 
Scriptures  to  a  tutor  who  'was  reckoned,'  says 
Mr.  Jerram,  'an  excellent  Hebrew  scholar  and 
biblical  critic,  and  by  the  late  Mr.  Romaine  was 
called  the  Solomon  of  his  age.'  Without  a  funda- 
mental knowledge  in  that  branch  of  literature, 
Mr.  Thomason  it  is  obvious  must  ever  have  been 
incompetent  to  effect,  satisfactorily,  any  version 
of  the  Old  Testament. 

The  ardour  of  these  students,  at  this  critical 
period  of  their  lives,  was  so  strong,  that  the 
expectation  of  a  new  companion,  w^hose  powers 
of  application  were  questionable,  produced  in 
their  bosoms  no  small  discomposure.     'A  lazy 


REV.    THOMAS    TKOMASON.  37 

companion,'  said  one  of  them,  *  would  much  pain 
me  ;  we  are  seldom  in  bed  at  half-past  four  in 
the  morning,  a  practice  I  find  agreeable  as  well 

as  profitable.     We  fear  that will  not  apply, 

not  get  up  early,  and  not  maintain  love,  three 
grand  articles  with  us.' 

The  following  extracts  from  letters  to  his 
mother,  from  January  to  March  1792,  will  shew 
with  what  a  Christian  elevation  of  mind  the  em- 
ployments of  this  youth  were  pursued. 

*  Your  last  letter  to  me  gave  me  great  comfort 
and  pleasure  :  it  was  full  of  advice.  I  thank  Mr. 
D.  likewise  for  advice  such  as  I  have  reason  to 
be  thankful,  has  not  been  wholly  neglected.  I 
never  expect  fully  and  completely  to  observe  it ;  to 
do  this  a  much  more  pure,  faithful,  and  vigorous 
soul  than  mine  should  be  engaged  with  all  its 
powers.  Disorderly  affections,  wandering  passions, 
unholy  desires,  unite  their  forces  in  my  heart  and 
prevent  it  from  oflfering  that  continued  incense 
of  prayer  and  praise  which  its  Maker  requires. 
Yesterday  I  was  exceedingly  favoured.  In  the 
morning  I  heard  Mr.  S.  preach,  at  Great  Missen- 
den,  from  these  words,  "  The  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ  his  Son  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin."  In  the 
afternoon  Mr.  Clark  took  in  hand  the  whole 
Lord's  prayer,  which  he  paraphrased,  or  rather 
commented  on,  in  a  masterly  manner.  In  the 
4 


38  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

evening  we  heard  him  expound,  when  he  consid- 
ered among  many  other  verses,  that  one,  which 
is  a  part  of  our  Saviour's  prayer  for  his  apostles, 
"  I  pray  not  that  thou  wouldest  take  them  out 
of  the  world,  but  that  thou  wouldest  keep  them 
from  the  evil."  Ah  !  thought  I,  that  is  the  grand 
point,  to  be  kept  from  the  world,  from  its  evils, 
its  vanities,  its  snares.  The  means  of  grace  are 
very  precious :  the  wearied  they  refresh,  the 
bewildered  they  guide,  to  the  mourners  they 
administer  comfort,  the  careless  they  awaken ; 
will  they  not  rise  up  in  judgment  against  us, 
unless  received  in  the  spirit  of  thankfulness  and 
prayer  1 

'Jan.  13,  1792. 
*  I  have  been  employed  in  making  a  new  collec- 
tion of  Hebrew  roots  ;  for  which  purpose  my 
little  red  book  is  useful.  I  consider  it  a  great 
blessing  to  have  time  for  these  things ;  they  are 
the  comforts  of  my  life :  but  when  I  consider  how 
very  small  a  thing  might  put  it  out  of  my  power 
to  employ  my  moments  in  such  a  manner,  my 
enjoyments  cannot  fail  of  being  accompanied  with 
an  awe  mingled  with  gratitude.  A  fall — a  bruise 
— disease — infirmity  of  any  kind,  might  in  a 
moment  incapacitate  body  and  mind  for  studious 
inquiries.  I  often  think  of  this,  and  the  thought 
causes  me  to  lift  up  my  heart  to  God.' 


REV.    TH03IAS    THOMASON.  3§ 

'Feb,  17,  1792. 
'  Mr.  Clark  has  been  with  us  and  given  us 
some  rules  which  I  copied  down  from  his  own 
mouth.  Being  dressed  in  the  morning,  let  each 
meditate  on  the  divine  perfections  ;  his  depend- 
ance  upon  God — his  obligations  to  obey  him. 
Let  each  recollect  his  own  particular  defects  or 
weaknesses,  and  wherein  he  is  most  likely  to  fail 
in  the  duties  which  he  owes  to  God  and  man ; 
remembering  his  reliance  on  the  Redeemer  for 
the  forgiveness  of  his  sins,  and  for  power  to  dis- 
charge every  duty.  Having  meditated  on  these 
subjects,  let  each  separately  apply  himself  to  God 
in  prayer ;  begging  that  he  may  have  more  en- 
larged views  of  the  extent  of  God's  laws,  and 
of  his  own  sins,  whether  in  temper,  words,  or 
actions ;  intreating  for  an  increase  of  dependance 
on  the  Redeemer  in  every  office,  and  for  ability 
to  discharge  every  duty,  and  to  suppress  every 
wrong  temper.  Thus  runs  our  preceptor's  ad- 
vice. O  that  we  may  be  enabled  to  follow  it! 
The  word  of  God — our  own  consciences — our 
parents — our  tutor,  unite  in  teaching  us  the  neces- 
sity of  meditation  and  prayer ;  and  shall  we  after 
all  neglect  it  ?  May  we  receive  grace  to  with- 
stand every  opposition,  and  to  love  the  Lord  with 
all  our  hearts  !  May  our  hearts  be  submissive 
and  humble ;  our  actions  Christian  and  be- 
coming ;  our  woi'ds  gentle  and  loving.     My  dear 


40  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

mother,  let  this  letter  put  an  end  to  all  anxiety 
on  our  account.  Fear  not,  we  shall  be  blessed 
while  we  are  careful  to  pray  for  a  blessing.' 

*  March  5,  1792. 
*  How  ought  I  to  make  it  my  continual  prayer, 
that  God  would  so  sanctify  my  aims,  that  I  may 
be  enabled  in  all  things  to  behave  as  becometh  a 
person  whose  profession  is  to  be  sacred.  I  feel 
much  the  importance  of  a  greater  conformity  to 
the  will  of  God.  Shall  I,  who  am  to  stand  up 
between  God  and  man,  behave  in  a  manner  which 
shews  my  contempt  of  him  whose  messenger  I 
pretend  to  be  ?  How  dreadful  the  consequence 
of  this  !  The  profession  which  a  minister  makes 
is  very  awful ;  he  professes  to  be  called  by  the 
common  Maker  and  Redeemer  of  all,  on  an 
errand  which  concerns  the  salvation  of  all  ;  this 
call  he  professes  to  be  moved  to  by  the  Holy 
Spirit ;  this  profession  presupposes  a  knowledge 
of  the  efficacy  of  that  redemption  which  he 
preaches.  He  professes  that  he  has  felt  the  hap- 
piness of  God's  children,  and  of  a  life  devoted 
to  the  service  of  God.  How  careful,  then,  ought 
such  a  person  to  be  not  to  offend  God  or  man; 
how  vigilant  should  he  be,  lest  by  giving  way, 
and  consenting  to  the  evil  of  his  own  heart,  he 
should  be  led  into  actions  disgraceful  to  him,  both 
as  a  learner  and  teacher  of  good  things.     Every 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON. 


41 


atjtion  of  such  a  person  is  exposed  to  peculiar 
scrutiny;  and  every  sin,  no  doubt,  will  be  pun- 
ished with  peculiar  weight.  His  employment 
makes  him  as  a  city  set  upon  a  hill,  which  cannot 
be  hid ;  his  life,  therefore,  should  be  such  as  will 
bear  the  most  accurate  observation  and  notice, 
and  the  principles  of  his  life  such  as  will  bear 
the  searching  of  God's  omniscience,  who  sits  as 
a  refiner's  fire  on  every  soul  of  man.  O,  who  is 
equal  to  this?  Cleanse  thou  me,  O  God,  from 
my  secret  faults.  See  what  sin  there  is  in  me, 
and  dispel  it  by  the  operations  of  thy  Holy  Spirit. 
Make  me  to  love  thee  more  and  serve  thee  better, 
that  when  thou  in  thy  providence  shalt  call  me 
to  speak  in  thy  name,  I  may,  having  myself  ex- 
perienced the  happiness  which  results  from  being 
at  peace  with  thee,  be  enabled  to  commend  this 
happiness  to  those  whom  thou  mayest  commit  to 
my  care. 

'  I  am  well  persuaded  that  nothing  would  tend 
to  make  me  so  truly  happy,  or  so  consistent  in 
practice,  as  a  continued  sense  of  my  own  no- 
thingness and  sinfulness.  Whether  it  be  through 
the  inconstancy  of  youth,  or  a  temptation  pecu- 
liarly strong  to  me,  so  it  is  that  I  am  continually 
forgetting  this.  Highmindedness  will  find  its 
way  into  my  soul,  and  disturb  my  peace.  What 
have  I  to  boast  of?  Surely  nothing;  I  have 
sinned  much,  and  have  been  forgiven  much;  I 
4* 


42 


MEMOIR   OF   THE 


do  Still  sin,  and  am  still  forgiven ;  shall  I  be 
proud  ?  My  dear  mother,  do  not  forget  to  pray 
for  me,  that  my  strength  to  withstand  evil  may 
be  increased,  that  I  may  improve  in  the  know- 
ledge and  love  of  God,  and  that  his  peace,  which 
passeth  all  understanding,  may  enlighten  the 
natural  darkness  of  my  soul,  and  be  my  safe- 
guard against  the  world,  the  flesh,  and  the 
devil.' 

In  the  spring  of  the  year  1792,  it  was  resolved 
by  those  who  undertook  the  concerns  of  the 
Elland  Society,  to  send  one  of  these  fellow- 
students  to  the  University  of  Oxford ;  the  other, 
whose  life  is  under  review,  to  Magdalen  College, 
Cambridge.  How  little  do  many  know  who  enter 
these  institutions,  with  what  spiritual  trepidation, 
with  what  tears  and  prayers,  they  are  launched  into 
a  sea,  the  shores  of  which  are  strewed  with  the  ribs 
of  vessels,  wrecked  and  stranded.  Happy  those 
who  have  Christian  advisers  at  such  a  moment, 
happy  above  all  those  who  tremble  for  themselves. 
It  will  readily  be  supposed,  that  the  person  who 
had  been  so  conducive  to  the  important  step  about 
to  be  taken,  would  not  stand  so  aloof  at  the  pre- 
sent juncture.  He  accordingly  received  a  letter 
from  Mrs.  Thornton,  "  shewing  the  greate  st  in- 
terest in  his  happiness:  cautioning  him  much 
against  the  workings  of  pride  and  self-will,  where 
he  then  was,  and  at  Cambridge,  for  there  he  was 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  43 

warned    that""  he   would    find   much   temptation.' 

*  Indeed   the   prospect  before   me,'   he   observed, 

*  requires  much  circumspection :  a  false  step  at 
my  first  entrance  may  embitter  a  whole  three 
year's  residence.  How  easy  a  matter  to  forget 
God  !  How  easy  to  connect  myself  with  persons 
who  care  not  for  God,  nor  the  things  of  God  ! 
How  happy  will  it  be  if  I  should  find  grace,  and 
come  oft'  conqueror  !  May  I  be  enabled,  knowing 
my  ^Masters  will,  to  do  it  I  May  my  life  be 
regulated  by  a  proper  rule  and  conducted  in  a 
proper  spirit ! '  The  privileges  possessed  bv  those 
to  whom  Mr.  Clark  became  a  minister,  instructor, 
and  friend  were  inestimable,  nor  were  any  of 
those  committed  to  his  charge  more  sensible 
of  these  advantages,  than  he  who  was  now  about 
to  quit  the  woods  of  Chesham  for  the  banks  of 
the  Cam.  '  What  a  pattern,'  he  exclaimed,  '  for 
our  imitation  have  we  in  him.  Oh,  that  w^e  may 
be  strengthened  to  walk  in  his  steps  !  His  pre- 
cepts, his  advice,  his  assistance  in  our  studies, 
spiritual  as  well  as  temporal,  make  him  exceed- 
ingly beloved.  He  travels  as  usual  to  Loud- 
water,  old  as  he  is.  I  cannot  help  reverencing 
and  admiring  his  character  ;  he  has  not  only  spent 
his  hfe  in  the  ministry,  but  in  sending  others  into 
the  ministry.  What  can  be  more  honorable — it 
is  being  doubly  honorable.' 

With   such  an  example   before  him,  the  very 


44  MEMOIR   OF    THE 

opposite  to  those  persons  who  are  described 
by  St.  Augustine,  as  *  strepentes  vocibus  muti 
moribus ; '  his  notions  of  personal  hohness  became 
daily  more  distinct  and  influential,  and  he  was 
led  to  these  resolutions — '  O  that  I  may  be  enabled, 
day  by  day,  to  act  as  a  dying  creature  !  May  I 
improve  in  the  knowledge  and  love  of  God,  and 
make  every  thing  subservient  to  the  one  great 
end  !  I  am  determined,  with  God's  assistance, 
to  begin  afresh.  I  am  determined,  by  his  grace 
assisting  me,  to  devote  my  powers  to  Him ;  and 
work,  act,  think,  speak,  and  live  for  Him.  No- 
thing is  worth  a  thought  but  how"  I  may  please 
Him,  and  this  is  worth  all  my  thoughts.' 

At  the  moment  of  his  departure  from  Chesham 
for  Cambridge,  joy  at  the  prospects  then  opening 
before  him  was  absorbed  in  grief  at  quitting  the 
abode  of  his  incomparable  tutor  ;  *  Cui  nee  facilitas 
auctoritatem,  nee  gravitas  amorem  diminuit.'  His 
connection  with  Mr.  Clark  had  been  one  of  the 
prime  blessings  of  his  existence — its  dissolution 
was  proportionably  trying.  He  bid  farewell  to 
him  with  a  heavy  heart,  and  in  bidding  it  in  a 
Christian  point  of  view,  might  well  have  addressed 
him  in  these  exquisite  lines : 

*  Me  tibi  supposui  teneros  tu  suscipis  annos, 
Socratico,  Cornute,  sinu — tunc  fallere  solers 
Apposita  intortos  extendit  regula  mores, 
Et  premitur  ratione  animus  vincique  laborat, 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  45 

Artificemque  tuo  ducit  sub  poUice  vultum. 
Tecum  etenim  longos  memini  consumere  soles, 
Et  tecum  primas  epulis  decerpere  noctes  ; 
Unum  opus  et  requiem  pariter  disponimus  ambo, 
Atque  verecunda  laxamus  seria  mensi.' 

The  following  translation,  by  a  poetical  friend, 
is  not  unworthy  the  original. 

'  I,  placed  beneath  thy  guidance,  found  a  rest 
For  my  young  years  in  thy  Socratic  breast. 
Thy  sapient  sway  my  erring  will  subdued. 
And  gently  won  me  to  the  right  and  good. 
My  soul  no  more  could  reason's  force  withstand, 
But  took  new  features  from  thy  plastic  hand. 
'Twas  sweet  with  thee  to  spend  the  summer  day. 
Sweet  on  thy  words  to  feast  the  night  away  : 
Our  toil,  our  rest  was  one  ;  one  modest  food 
Relax'd  our  labours  and  our  powers  renew'd.' 

Of  the  last  walk  he  took  with  him  he  says, — 
the  relation  of  tutor  and  pupil  being  on  the  point 
of  termination,  '  our  walk  together  was  very  affect- 
ing ;  he  gave  me  his  parting  blessing :  he  told 
me  he  had  no  doubt  we  should  again  meet  with 
everlasting  joy  upon  our  heads.  'Watch  strictly,' 
said  he,  '  over  your  heart ;  be  much  in  praye  r 
cleave  closely  to  God.  Pray  for  spiritual  discern- 
ment, that  you  may  have  a  clear  perception  of  the 
path  you  should  walk  in.  Pray  to  ^yalk  in  that 
way  in  spite  of  all  opposition  ;  thus  knowing  and 
doing  the  will  of  God,  you  must  be  happy.' 


46 


MEMOIR    OF   THE 


CHAPTER  III. 


Few  persons  ever  entered  the  university  under 
circumstances  more  friendly  to  mental  cultivation 
and  religious  improvement  than  he  who,  in  the 
month  of  October,  1792,  was  followed  by  many 
a  prayer  from  Chesham  to  Cambridge.  The 
plant  which,  in  that  retired  spot,  had  been  so 
assiduously  tended,  was  removed  to  a  place  where 
the  blasts  were  rude — but  where  it  was  still  care- 
fully protected. 

At  Magdalen,  the  college  where  Mr.  Thomason 
was  fixed,  many  young  men  of  sterling  piety, 
some  of  whom  possessed  undoubted  talents,  asso- 
ciating on  Christian  principles,  became  a  reciprocal 
support  to  each  other.  This  band  of  students, 
strong  as  it  then  was,  not  very  long  afterwards 
was  strengthened  by  the  accession  of  Mr.  Jerram 
to  their  number.  His  delineation  of  days  de- 
lightful from  communion  with  God,  and  diligence 
in  appropriate  duties  will  be  read  with  lively, 
perhaps  with  sympathetic  interest  ;    and  not  the 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  47 

less  so  because  the  whole  passage   breathes   the 
spirit  of  those  lines  of  inimitable  tenderness — 

*  Gluo  desiderio  veteres  revocamus  amores 
Atque  olim  amissas  flemus  amicitias  !' 

Mr.  Jerram  thus  strikingly  illustrates  this  period 
of  Mr.  Thomason's  life. 

'  It  became  my  lot  to  form,  chiefly  through 
Mr.  Thomason,  a  connexion  of  some  of  the 
most  excellent,  and  a  few  of  the  most  distin- 
guished members  of  the  university  ;  and  I  shall 
ever  retain  a  strono;  sense  of  the  happiness  and 
benefit  I  derived  from  their  society.  In  convers- 
ing with  him  on  the  various  branches  of  literature 
pursued  at  Cambridge,  I  could  not  help  observing 
the  proficiency  he  appeared  to  have  made  both 
in  the  classics  and  mathematics.  For  though  I 
was  not  a  competent  judge  of  the  extent  of  his 
attainments,  I  was  sufficiently  read  in  both  these 
departments  to  convince  me  that  he  must  possess 
both  considerable  talent  and  quickness  to  have 
enabled  him  at  that  early  age,  greatly  to  surpass 
all  I  had  hitherto  met  with  of  his  own  standing. 
He  wrote  Latin  with  great  ease  and  correctness, 
and  occasionally  with  elegance  ;  and  he  had 
taken  considerable  pains  to  acquire  as  much  as 
he  could  of  the  style  of  Cicero.  For  this  pur- 
pose he  had  described  the  whole  of  his  Ofiices, 
and  had  committed  a  considerable  portion  of  them 


48  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

to  memory.  But  I  was  most  struck  with  his 
intimate  acquaintance  with  the  original  languages 
of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  He  had  read  the  Greek 
Testament  so  often,  and  with  so  much  care,  it 
was  scarcely  possible  to  mention  a  passage  in 
English  for  which  he  could  not  immediately  quote 
the  original.  In  Hebrew  I  had  only  recently 
commenced  my  studies,  and  therefore  could  form 
but  an  inadequate  opinion  of  his  attainments  in 
it,  but  I  have  reason  to  believe  they  were  of  no 
ordinary  talent.  He  had  the  Hebrew  Bible 
divided  into  several  small  volumes,  and  was  never 
without  one  of  them  in  his  pocket.  His  usual 
relaxation  from  his  severer  studies  was  his  read- 
ing of  this,  and  every  fragment  of  his  time  was 
gathered  up  for  the  purpose  of  adding  to  his 
stores  of  biblical  knowledge.  It  is  not,  therefore, 
surprising,  that  with  this  taste  and  continued  per- 
severance, he  arrived  at  considerable  eminence  in 
sacred  literature :  perhaps  few  in  his  day  sur- 
passed him  in  his  knowledge  of  the  text  of  scrip- 
ture. It  happened  very  fortunately  for  myself 
that  rooms  W'ere  vacant  contiguous  to  those  of  Mr. 
Thomason,  on  my  first  entrance  on  a  college  life  ; 
and  eventually  that  of  a  third  set  of  rooms  were 
taken  possession  of  by  our  mutual  and  highly 
esteemed  friend,  Mr.  Cocker,  the  late  vicar  of 
Bunny,  in  Nottinghamshire,  so  that  we  occupied 
the  whole  of  the  second  floor  of  one  of  the  college 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  49 

staircases.  I  mention  this  as  leading  to  a  con- 
nexion, the  most  delightful  and  profitable  I  had 
ever  formed ;  and  I  have  reason  to  suppose  that 
the  gratification,  if  not  the  benefit,  of  this  college 
friendship  was  mutual.  Our  intimacy  became  so 
close,  that  I  beheve  scarcely  any  person  who 
knew  us  ever  mentioned  the  name  of  one  of  us 
without  associating  the  name  of  the  other  two 
with  it.  Very  pleasantly,  indeed,  did  nearly  four 
years  pass  away  in  this  uninterrupted  friendship  ; 
and  when,  some  years  after  our  separation  to 
different  and  distant  spheres,  we  met  unexpect- 
edly, college  associations  immediately  burst  on 
our  minds,  and  we  enjoyed,  indeed,  a  mutual 
feast.' 

Of  these  two  friends,  now  both  in  heaven,  the 
remaining  friend  on  earth  adds — '  Mr.  C.  pos- 
sessed considerable  quickness  of  parts,  the  greatest 
kindness  of  heart,  an  original  vein  of  humour, 
a  keen  sense  of  the  ludicrous,  an  uncommonly 
even  and  cheerful  temper ;  the  whole  regulated 
by  the  highest  religious  principles  and  Christian 
piety.  There  was  in  him  such  a  combination 
of  qualities,  as  rendered  it  impossible  to  know 
him  without  esteeming  him,  or  to  be  on  terms 
of  intimacy  with  him  without  loving  him.  It 
was  in  his  society  that  Mr.  Thomason  and  myself 
enjoyed  not  only  a  very  great  degree  of  social 
pleasure,  but  a  more  than  ordinary  share  of  Chris- 

5 


50  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

tian  communion.  Many  and  happy  were  the 
seasons  we  spent  together  in  reading  the  scrip- 
tures and  in  prayer,  and  now  and  then,  when  we 
could  do  it  without  the  risk  of  drawing  upon  us 
invidious  notice,  we  heightened  our  social  plea- 
sures by  singing  our  favourite  psalms  and  hymns 
Mr.  Thomason  was  but  a  bad  singer,  but  de- 
lighted exceedingly  in  the  performance,  and  was 
always  the  first  to  propose  it.  I  can  truly  say, 
— and  I  am  sure  both  of  my  friends,  could  their 
sentiments  now,  alas  !  be  obtained,  would  heartily 
join  with  me, — that  these  engagements  were  not 
only  the  happiest,  but  the  most  profitable  of  our 
college  occupations.  They  greatly  tended  to  relax 
the  weariness  of  the  same  routine  of  reading; 
they  counteracted  the  chilling  efiect  of  abstract 
studies,  and  the  unchristian  tendency  of  Pagan 
literature  and  profane  mythology :  they  elevated 
our  minds  and  feelings  above  secular  pursuits ; 
they  kept  alive  the  spark  of  Christian  piety ;  they 
fixed  our  thoughts  on  our  future  and  holy  des- 
tination ;  they  prepared  us  for  that  part  of  our 
approaching  ministerial  functions,  which  are  of  all 
others  the  most  difficult  to  perform,  and  yet  are 
of  indispensable  importance,  when  we  should  be 
called  upon  to  comfort  such  as  were  in  sorrow, 
to  direct  those  that  were  perplexed  about  their 
spiritual  state,  and  to  pray  with  those  whose 
difficulties    and    peculiar    circumstances  of   trial 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  51 

required  more  direct  and  appropriate  notice  than 
could  be  anticipated  by  any  preconceived  form 
of  devotion.  Nor  did  these  exercises  rob  us 
of  any  of  that  time  which  we  felt  it  our  duty  to 
devote  to  our  literary  pursuits.  On  the  contrary, 
they  gave  a  sensitiveness  to  our  conscience,  and 
an  edge  to  our  sense  of  duty  which  forbade  us  to 
neglect  the  course  of  studies  prescribed  by  our 
academic  superiors. 

*It  was  Mr.  Thomason's  custom  to  rise  about 
five  in  the  morning,  and  as  our  rooms  were  nearly 
contiguous,  we  alternately  lit  our  respective  fires, 
and  applied  ourselves  to  reading  in  the  same 
room.  Our  terms  of  intimacy  were  so  familiar 
we  were  constantly  in  the  habit  of  using  each 
other's  rooms,  books,  or  whatever  either  of  us 
wanted  that  the  other  had,  without  the  least 
ceremony.  Pleasanter  days  than  these  I  never 
spent ;  they  remind  me  of  that  happy  state  when 
the  first  Christians  had  all  things  common,  parted 
their  goods  as  each  of  them  had  need,  and  con- 
tinued daily  with  one  accord  eating  their  bread 
with  gladness  and  singleness  of  heart  and  praising 
God.' 

This  exalted  tone  of  piety,  and  this  effective 
train  of  study,  were  aided  and  directed  by  the 
tutors  of  Magdalen,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Parish  con- 
ducting the  mathematical,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jowett 
the    classical    department ;    the   one  profound    in 


52 


MEMOIR    OF    THE 


abstruse  science,  the  other  celebrated  for  scholar- 
ship and  taste  :  both  patrons  and  promoters  of  that 
rehgion  which  bears  the  nearest  affinity  to  that 
of  the  Reformation. 

Besides  these  advantages  within  the  precincts 
of  the  college,  others  of  invaluable  advantage  pre- 
sented themselves  in  the  public  ministry  and 
private  superintendence  of  the  Rev.  C.  Simeon 
of  King's  College.  In  him  Mr.  Thomason  found 
the  fidelity  of  a  devoted  pastor  ;  the  affection  of  a 
father  and  a  friend.  Of  these  benefits  he  thank- 
fully availed  himself:  and  the  grateful  remem- 
brance of  them  to  his  dying  hour  was  indelible. 
Mr.  Simeon's  exertions,  especially,  in  behalf  of 
those  who  were  intended  for  the  ministry,  were 
great  and  incessant.  The  sight  or  even  the  anti- 
cipation of  spiritual  progress  in  any  one  who,  in 
after  life,  *  was  to  teach  and  premonish  the  Lord's 
family,'  was  to  him  an  overflowing  recompense  for 
all  his  labors.  "  Hoc  est  quod  unum  est  pro  labo- 
ribus  tantis." 

In  a  letter  to  Mrs.  Thornton,  Mr.  Thomason 
makes  this  report.  '  Mr.  Simeon  watches  over  us 
as  a  shepherd  over  his  sheep.  He  takes  delight  in 
instructing  us — and  has  us  continually  at  his 
rooms.  He  has  nothing  to  do  with  us  as  it  respects 
our  situation  at  college.  His  Christian  love  and 
zeal  prompt  him  to  notice  us.' — '  God  has  heaped 
upon  me,'  he  says,  in  strains  that  gladdened  a  mo- 


REV.    THOMA.S    THOBIASON.  53 

ther's  heart,  '  more  favours  than  ever.  He  seems 
to  aim  at  subduing  my  heart  to  his  sway  by  brighter 
and  brighter  discoveries  of  his  goodness.  Mr. 
Simeon  has  invited  me  to  his  Sunday  evening 
lectures.  This  I  consider  one  of  the  greatest 
advantages  I  ever  received.  The  subject  of  his 
lectures  is  natural  and  revealed  religion.  These 
he  studies  and  puts  together  with  much  pains  and 
attention.  He  reads  the  fruit  of  his  labors  to  us, 
and  explains  it.  We  write  after  him.  He  then 
dismisses  us  with  prayer.' 

Of  Mr.  Simeon — designating  him  justly,  as 
highly  venerable  and  beloved, — Mr.  Jerram  also 
says,  '  I  cannot  pass  over  this  opportunity  of  ac- 
knowledging my  debt  of  obligation  to  this  truly 
estimable  friend.  We  were  admitted  often  to  his 
rooms,  and  enjoyed  regular  lectures  from  him  on 
various  topics  connected  with  the  ministry  to 
which  we  were  looking  forward  ;  and  I  cannot 
help  ascribing  to  these  occasions  much  of  the 
little  good  that  has  resulted  from  my  official 
labours.  His  directions  on  the  composition  of  ser- 
mons were  invaluable,  and  I  owe  to  him  whatever 
I  have  obtained  of  ease  in  preparing  many  hun- 
dreds of  discourses  for  the  pulpit.' 

What  a  contrast  are  works  of  this  description, — 
so  disinterested,  beneficent,  and  eminently  profit- 
able as  Mr.  Simeon's — to  pitiful  frivolities,  angry 
disputations,  the  curious  nothings  of  useless  specu- 
5* 


54  MEMOIR   OF    THE 

lation,  all  those  learned  trifles  and  vain-glorious 
popular  displays,  which  have  wrung,  from  lips 
parched  and  quivering  in  dissolution,  those  words 
of  shame,  self-reproach,  and  agony — '  eheu  !  vitani 
perdidi  nihil  agendo  laboriose,' — or  what  is  said  to 
have  been  the  dying  exclamation  of  a  famous  Irish 
preacher — "Speak  not  to  me  of  my  sermons — 
alas!  I  was  fiddling  whilst  Rome  was  burning." 

The  subjoined  sentiments,  selected  from  his 
letters  within  this  period,  shew  how  far  Mr.  Thom- 
ason  had  prospered  under  his  spiritual  instructor. 

*  Oh !  that  I  had  more  of  the  spirit  of  a  little 
child  to  receive  the  impressions  of  the  Spirit  as 
the  wax  receives  that  of  the  seal.  Vain  men 
endeavour  to  dig  a  grave  for  truth,  as  if  the 
eternal  principle  could  be  hidden ;  but  if  they 
cannot  hide  truth,  truth  will  cause  them  to  wish 
to  hide  themselves.' 

*  It  gave  me  much  concern  to  hear  of  Mr.  D — 's 
illness.  I  long  to  know  whether  he  is  better. 
The  brightest  sun  has  a  gloom  when  it  rises  upon 
affliction  and  disease.  Time  drags  his  chariot 
wheels  heavily  whilst  the  languid  spirits,  worn 
down  with  the  infirmities  of  the  body,  can  scarcely 
look  around  where  the  prospect  is  not  clouded, 
or  perhaps  extended  without  bounds.  It  gave 
me  great  joy  when  I  heard  the  comfortable  state 
of  his  mind.  What  an  invaluable  blessing  is 
peace  I    To  purchase  for  the  soul  of  man  this 


REV.    THOMAS    TIIOMASON.  55 

happiness,  the  Son  of  God  was  crucified  once, — 
to  keep  it,  man  must  crucify  himself  daily.' 

*  I  httle  thought  that was  so  ill.     Although 

she  is  at  a  time  of  life  which  loudly  bespeaks 
the  nearness  of  death,  yet  the  intimation  strikes 
me  with  sorrow  and  amazement.  I  sincerely 
hope  that  her  mind  is  prepared  to  meet  her  God, 
and  that  the  wedding-ring  she  in  her  affection 
leaves  me  as  a  dying  present,  is  an  emblem  of  the 
marriage  -of  the  Lamb  into  which  she  has  entered. 
What  a  blessed  thing  to  partake  of  that  happi- 
ness ! — to  be  one  with  him  and  he  with  us  ?  The 
confines  of  eternity  are  truly  solemn :  we  are 
every  moment  drawing  nearer  to  it ;  who  can  tell 
whether  our  approach  will  prove  a  day's  journey 
only.  What  need  for  continual  examination  !  Every 
day  should  give  us  a  lesson  on  the  necessity  of 
being  much  in  prayer  and  holy  exercises.  What 
happiness  to  have  at  our  dying  moments  the 
consolation  that  Christ  has  died,  and  through  his 
death  our  sins  are  blotted  out,  and  that  a  way 
is  opened  for  us  into  the  holy  of  holies.  The 
Christian  may  stand  unmoved  at  the  drawn 
dagger  of  death  and  defy  its  point.  Stand  un- 
moved, did  I  say  ?  He  will  rather  rejoice  in  the 
full  assurance  of  hope ;  and  stretching  out  his 
hand  with  rapture  will  cry  out,  "  Come,  Lord 
Jesus,  come  quickly." — You  have  pressed  home 
no  doubt  the  truths  of  religion:  you  have  not 


56  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

omitted  to  probe  the  heart,  and  to  represent 
Christ  crucified.  Believe  that  there  is  indeed  a 
fountain  opened  for  sin  and  uncleanness,  and  that 
the  fountain  is  a  fountain  of  life.  Believe — have 
confidence,  do  not  despond.  Remember  the 
thief  upon  the  cross.  Christ  is  the  same  as  he 
then  was.  He  has  the  same  love  and  power — 
the  same  glories — the  same  paradise  in  store  for 
those  who  embrace  his  mercy.  Perhaps  ere  this 
her  soul  is  fled ;  if  I  never  more  see  her  dear 
face,  God's  will  be  done.' 

These  communications,  the  last  especially,  were 
made,  it  is  evident,  under  keen  emotion.  They 
exhibit  acute  suffering ;  yet  of  such  a  character 
that  w^e  may  well  account  him  happy  who  en- 
dured. At  moments  like  these  it  is  that  any 
additional  grief  descends  not  simply  with  its  own 
weight,  but  with  an  augmented  pressure.  Hence 
at  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Jowett  from  Magdalen — 
a  tutor  justly  venerated ;  and  at  the  departure 
from  that  college  of  a  young  man  lately  married, 
on  a  distant  mission,  the  pupil  and  the  friend 
was  more  than  usually  susceptible  of  sorrowful 
impressions.  To  estimate  the  loss  of  a  pious  and 
able  tutor  few  are  competent ;  but  when  hand 
is  grasped  by  hand,  and  the  eyes  and  heart 
overflow,  and  there  is  almost  a  rehearsal  of  death, 
all  possessed  of  common  feeling  can  appreciate 
the  demand  made  upon  our  sensibilities.      *  Our 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  57 

sorrow,'  he  says  of  the  former,  '  causes  us  to 
anticipate  the  moment,  and  to  fancy  him  already 
snatched  from  us.  I  do  not  know  what  our  httle 
society  will  do  when  our  protector  is  gone.  The 
loss  of  Mr.  Jowett  will  be  severely  felt.  Of  the 
latter  we  found  them  sitting  down  to  their  last 
meal  at  the  inn,  and  we  gave  them  great  comfort 
by  the  interview.  They  had  bid  farewell  to  their 
friends ;  it  was  like  rising  from  the  dead  to  them. 
O  how  delighted  they  were  !  We  on  our  parts 
were  as  much  so  at  causing  their  aching  hearts  to 
feel  emotions  of  joy  at  such  a  moment.  We  went 
on  board ;  and  when  the  anchor  was  weighed 
took  a  tender  farewell.  They  followed  us  with 
their  eyes,  and  beckoned  with  their  hands  and 
hats,  till  their  sails  and  ours  going  different  ways 
carried  us  out  of  sight  of  each  other.' 

But  of  all  the  trials  mercifully  commissioned 
from  above,  one  of  the  heaviest  was  yet  behind. 
Towards  the  close  of  the  year  1793,  Mr.  Clark 
was  called  unto  the  joy  of  his  Lord;  he  died 
full  of  years  and  of  grace, — ripe  and  ready  for 
a  blessed  immortality.  Many  poor  men  to  whom 
he  had  dispensed  the  bread  that  perisheth,  and 
that  which  endureth  to  everlasting  life;  many 
poor  scholars  whom  he  had  trained  up  to  tread 
the  path  heavenward,  and  to  proclaim  the  truths 
of  the  glorious  gospel  of  the  blessed  God, — either 
in  person  or  spirit  were  heart-felt  mourners  at 


58  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

his  grave.  Let  one  of  these  who  yielded  to  no 
other  in  love  for  the  living,  or  regret  for  the  de- 
parted, describe  this  good  man's  holy  unwearied 
activity  in  life,  in  death  his  hopes  brightening  as 
the  clouds  became  more  dense  and  dark.  *  For 
the  space  of  half  a  century  he  carried  on  his 
ministerial  labours  with  a  zeal  and  fidelity  of  which 
we  have  very  few  examples.  He  sent  forth  many 
able  ministers  into  the  church.  His  life  was  a 
living  sermon :  few  ever  left  his  company  unedi- 
fied.  It  was  his  delight  to  dwell  upon  the  truths 
of  Christianity  in  the  most  familiar  conversation. 
His  house  was  a  refuge  to  those  in  distress.  In- 
tent on  the  work  of  reclaiming  sinners,  he  did 
not  shun  to  declare  the  whole  counsel  of  God. 
He  placed  his  whole  happiness  in  the  service 
of  his  Master.  On  his  death-bed  the  doctrines 
he  had  enforced  were  seen  in  action:  during  a 
painful  fortnight  he  did  not  cease  to  speak  to  his 
friends  in  a  most  affectionate  instructive  manner. 
He  looked  upon  life  with  contempt — upon  death 
with  serenity — upon  heaven  with  rapture.' 

'  It  was  my  privilege,'  Mr.  Jerram  says,  *  not 
only  to  receive  his  last  instructions  as  a  tutor, 
but  to  attend  upon  him  constantly  in  his  final 
illness ;  and  to  witness  his  blessed  death  as  a 
Christian.  And  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  con- 
ceive anything  more  solemn,  instructive,  and 
interesting   than    this   last    scene.      His   patience 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  59 

under  excruciating  pains, — his  meekness  of  tem- 
per,— his  deep  humility, — his  thankfulness  for 
every  little  attention, — his  never- varying  cheer- 
fulness; and,  above  all,  his  unshaken  confidence 
in  the  mercy  of  God  through  Jesus  Christ,  in- 
spiring him  with  a  hope  full  of  immortality,  filled 
all  who  were  privileged  like  myself  to  attend 
him,  as  he  passed  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow 
of  death,  with  admiration,  and  thankfulness  to  God 
who  had  bestowed  such  grace,  and  such  support 
and  consolation  in  such  trying  circumstances.' 

When  first  taken  ill,  Sept.  17,  1793— to  refer 
to  a  statement  drawn  up  at  the  time  by  Mr. 
Jerram,  whose  favoured  station  was  by  the  bed- 
side of  his  dying  tutor,  an  honour  in  which,  had 
it  been  possible,  Mr.  Thomason  would  thankfully 
have  participated — '  Such  a  shock  as  this,'  said 
the  sinking  yet  victorious  Christian  minister,  'at 
my  advanced  age,  must  materially  affect  my  con- 
stitution ;  and  it  is  most  likely  that  this  disorder 
will  take  me  off".  I  can  now  be  but  of  little  use 
to  any  body,  and  therefore  not  much  loss  will  be 
sustained  by  my  death.'  To  Mrs.  C.  he  spoke 
much  of  his  expected  dissolution,  said  he  thought 
he  should  soon  see  his  son ;  and  added,  '  when 
will  the  happy  time  come  that  I  shall  be  released  ?' 

*  Sept.  20. — Speaking  of  the  sermon  he  had 
preached  the  Sunday  before,  (which  was  the  last 
he  ever  delivered,)   from   1  Thess.   v.   18,   "In 


60  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

every  thing  give  thanks,  for  this  is  the  vv^ill  of  God 
in  Christ  Jesns  concerning  you,"  he  said,  "I  can 
now  say,  from  experience,  that  there  is  as  much 
reason  to  thank  God  for  the  afflictions  he  sends 
us,  as  for  anything  else.  I  can  bless  God  for 
laying  me  upon  this  bed  of  sickness,  and  am 
thankful  for  it."  The  above  was  intended  to  be 
a  supplementary  discourse  to  one  he  had  preached 
the  preceding  Lord's  day,  from  Psalm  ciii.  2, 
"  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul !  and  forget  not  all 
his  benefits."  The  design  of  his  last  sermon  was 
to  show  that  afflictions  and  crosses  were  amongst 
the  number  of  those  blessings  which  call  for 
gratitude.  Among  other  things  he  took  occasion 
to  exclaim  against  the  vanity  and  folly  of  anxiously 
pursuing  worldly  objects,  and  instanced,  in  par- 
ticular, the  pursuit  of  knowledge.  What  he  said 
upon  this  point  seemed  to  be  principally  intended 
for  his  students.  As  he  had  just  alluded  to  this 
sermon,  I  took  occasion  to  thank  him  for  the  hint, 
and  hoped  I  should  be  able,  to  profit  by  it.  "  Ah," 
replied  he,  "  I  did  not  intend  its  application  to 
you  alone,  but  also  to  myself.  So  much  vanity 
generally  attends  the  attainment  of  a  little  learn- 
ing, that  it  requires  great  watchfulness  to  guard 
against  it." ' 

'  Sept.  2L— I  found  Mr.  R.  of  C,  his  son  Mr. 
J.  C,  and  Z.  weeping  at  his  bed-side.  His  dis- 
order at  that  time  appeared  to  be  almost  despe- 


HEV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  61 

rate.  He  had  been  speaking  to  them,  I  believe, 
before  I  entered  the  room  ;  but  he  then  addressed 
us  individually.  To  Mr.  R.  he  said,  "  I  know 
Mr.  R.  is  a  good  man,  and  I  doubt  not,  but  I 
shall  meet  him  in  heaven."  To  Z.  he  said,  he 
looked  upon  him  as  his  own  child,  and  exhorted 
him  with  the  greatest  affection,  to  flee  from 
those  vices  and  folHes  into  which  most  young 
men  run.  "  Avoid  them,  pass  not  by  them,  turn 
from  them  and  flee  away."  In  this  address  to  Z. 
he  seemed  particularly  affected,  and  drew  his 
cap  over  his  face  to  weep.  When  he  turned  to 
his  son,  his  heart  seemed  too  full  for  utterance. 
They  clasped  hands,  and  bedewed  each  other 
plentifully  with  tears.  He  appeared  to  be  in  an 
agony  of  soul  for  the  happiness  of  his  son.  Only 
those  who  were  present  can  form  an  idea  of  the 
affecting  scene.  After  this,  he  prayed  earnestly 
for  Mr. ,  that  God  would  make  him  a  faith- 
ful and  useful  minister  of  the  gospel,  and  that 
he  would  soon  provide  for  him  in  his  church. 
He  then  enlarged  much  on  the  great  necessity 
there  was  for  ministers  to  guard  against  ambition. 
"  The  ministers  of  the  gospel,"  said  he,  "  have 
great  reason  to  watch  against  pride,  vanity,  and 
many  other  diabolical  sins ;  and  to  beware  of 
preaching  in  anger  or  opposition."  Here  he 
expatiated  a  good  deal  upon  the  abasement  and 
humiliation  of  Jesus  Christ.  "  The  Redeemer," 
6 


62  MEMOIR   OF    THE 

said  he,  "  was  spit  upon,  buffetted,  crowned  with 
thorns,  and  crucified  for  such  poor  sinful  and  un- 
worthy creatures  as  we  are."  This  topic  seemed 
to  fire  his  soul  with  gratitude  and  love  to  God  his 
Saviour.' 

'  Sept.  22. — Speaking  to  two  of  his  friends,  who 
had  been  educated  by  him,  and  for  whom  he  had 
a  particular  affection,  he  recommended  mutual 
affection  between  them.  "  I  have  not  been  your 
father,"  said  he,  "  but  I  have  been  in  some  mea- 
sure your  nurse."  One  of  them  lamenting  their 
distance  from  each  other,  Mr.  C.  said,  "  That  is 
nothing  where  spirits  are  united.  Whether  bodies 
touched,  or  were  ten  thousand  miles  apart,  was 
of  little  consequence  :  the  union  of  spirit  is  every 
thing."  From  this  he  took  occasion  to  mention 
the  temptations  which  arise,  even  from  the  kind- 
ness of  friends.  "  The  kindness  of  friends  I 
enjoy  at  this  time  in  a  very  great  degree.  They 
not  only  do  every  thing  by  night  and  by  day  for 
me,  but  do  it  with  the  utmost  cheerfulness,  which 
makes  the  obligation  still  greater.  But  from 
hence  arises  a  temptation.  What  is  it  ?  Why,  I 
am  tempted  to  look  for  my  happiness  in  my  friends, 
and  in  what  they  can  do  for  me,  which  is  wrong. 
1  desire  to  love  and  esteem  them  most  sincerely ; 
but  I  should  look  for  happiness  only  in  God. 
Here  all  my  hopes  should  centre,  that  God  may 
be  all  in  all.     What  a  poor  helpless  creature  am 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  DO 

I!  to  think  that  He  who  made  the  heavens  and 
angels  and  all  worlds,  whose  power  is  beyond 
all  bounds,  that  this  great  Being  should  con- 
descend to  take  notice  of  me,  a  poor  contemptible 
worm  lying  here  ! " 

'  Sept.  23. — During  the  whole  of  the  day,  he 
was  attended  by  many  of  his  poor  distressed 
sheep,  whose  hearts  were  deeply  affected  with 
the  apprehension  of  soon  losing  their  spiritual 
guide.  He  conversed  with  them  by  four  or  five 
at  a  time,  parcelling  them  into  proper  classes, 
that  "  each  might  have  a  portion  of  meat  in  due 
season."  There  being  eight  of  them  in  the  house 
together,  their  names  were  mentioned  to  him,  one 
of  whom  he  wished  to  speak  to  by  himself. 
"  The  rest,"  said  he,  "  I  hope  are  the  real  fol- 
lowers of  the  Redeemer."  I  intimated  that  I 
hoped  the  person  he  had  objected  to,  was  a  serious 
man ;  because  he  had  sat  so  many  years  under 
his  preaching.  "  Yes,"  replied  Mr.  C.  "  he  has : 
but  don't  you  know  that  there  are  many  stones  in 
the  church  aisle,  which  have  been  there  many 
years,  and  that  they  are  stones  still  ? "  Being 
afraid  that  speaking  so  much  would  exhaust  and 
weaken  him,  he  was  desired  to  spare  himself  a 
little.     He  answered,  "  I  can  preach  best  now." 

*  Mr.  R.  of  A.  had  been  mentioning  a  patient 
whom  he  attended,  who  was  so  peevish  and  dis- 
contented, that  he  could  scarcely  prevail  upon  her 


64 


MEMOIR   OF   THE 


to  follow  any  of  his  prescriptions.  "  I  thought " 
said  he  to  Mr.  C.  "  she  formed  a  perfect  contrast 
with  you." — "  Ah  ! "  replied  Mr.  C.  "  whatever 
there  is  in  me,  I  owe  entirely  to  my  Redeemer." 
"  I  think,"  said  Mr.  R.  "  there  is  a  good  deal  in 
a  person's  natural  disposition." — "  Natural  dis- 
position ! "  rejoined  Mr.  C.  "  I  am  naturally  as 
irritable  as  any  man.  But  when  I  find  anger  or 
passion,  or  any  other  evil  temper  arise  in  my 
mind,  immediately  I  go  to  my  Redeemer,  and 
confessing  my  sins  I  give  myself  up  to  be  managed 
by  him.  This  is  the  way  I  have  taken  to  get  the 
mastery  of  my  passions." 

*  During  the  night  he  slept  a  good  deal,  and  a 
little  after  sun-rising,  he  desired  us  to  draw  up 
the  window  curtains.  We  were  afraid  the  light 
would  be  too  powerful  for  him  at  the  first,  and 
drew  them  up  but  a  little  way.  "Draw  them  to 
the  top,"  cried  he,  "  the  light  refreshes  me."  He 
then  looked  through  the  window  with  inexpressible 
pleasure  in  his  countenance,  and  exclaimed,  "  The 
sun  shines  upon  every  tree  and  plant;  and  the  Sun 
of  Righteousness  shines  upon  me." 

'  Sept  27. — I  sat  with  him  a  considerable  time. 
He  was  very  weak,  and  could  not  speak  without 
difliculty.  I  quoted  that  verse  out  of  the  23d 
Psalm,  "  Though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of 
the  shadow  of  death,  &c."  He  answered,  "  Yes, 
he  will  be  with  me.      What  are  all  my  suflferings. 


REV.    THOMAS   THOMASON.  65 

when  compared  with  the  Redeemer's !  When  in 
his  agony  he  sweat  great  drops  of  blood  !  What 
love  was  this ! "  Here  his  speech  began  to  fail, 
and  he  intimated  that  it  pained  him  to  speak,  but 
wished  he  was  able. 

'  Sept.  28. — Being  restless,  and  unable  to  lie  in 
an  easy  posture,  he  said,  "This  is  the  way  to 
happiness.  Through  much  tribulation  we  must 
enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven." 
:  J  Sept.  29. — To  a  person  sitting  up  with  him  he 
said,  "  When  I  am  gone,  I  suppose  my  people 
will  go  some  one  way,  and  some  another.  The 
Lord  grant  that  they  may  be  not  disjoined  from 
Christ." ' 

Thus  sustained  by  the  omnipotent  Redeemer  to 
the  last — and  to  the  last  exhibiting  the  power 
of  faith  in  his  every  sentiment  and  in  his  whole 
demeanour;  this  great  and  good  man  found  the 
iron  gate  of  death  opened  with  no  grating  and 
appalling  sound,  but  easily  and  as  by  an  angel's 
hand,  and  he  passed  into  the  paradise  of  God. 

During  the  two  years  Mr.  Thomason  had  been 
at  college,  his  demeanour  and  industry  were  such 
as  amply  to  justify  the  wisdom  of  expending  on 
his  education  a  sum,  which  could  not  be  incon- 
siderable, however  prudently  managed.  But, 
hitherto  misconceiving  the  line  of  his  duty,  he 
had  not  read  mathematics  with  ardour ;  nor  was 
it  till  the  end  of  his  second  year,  that  the  advice 
6* 


66  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

of  a  friend,  seconded  by  that  of  Mr.  Simeon, 
corrected  the  error.  Without,  therefore,  neg- 
lecting what  conduced  to  personal  and  ministerial 
usefulness,  he  began  to  bestow  on  Newton  an 
intense  application :  never  had  he  doubted  but 
that  the  religious  student  may  serve  God  in  those 
avocations  in  which  the  mind,  for  a  while,  seems 
absorbed  ;  but,  sent  to  college,  as  he  had  been, 
by  others,  expressly  to  prepare  for  holy  orders, 
it  had  been  a  question  of  conscience  w4th  him, 
whether  he  ought  to  abstract  so  much  time  from 
the  study  of  divinity,  as  would  be  necessary  to 
supply  any  hope  of  his  shining  as  a  star  of  lustre 
and  magnitude  in  the  academic  firmament.  No 
sooner  was  his  mind  set  right  on  this  head,  than 
he  addressed  himself  to  his  work  with  an  energy 
which,  had  it  animated  him  from  the  first,  might 
have  carried  him,  notwithstanding  the  powerful 
competition  of  that  year,  to  the  point  of  supreme 
elevation  on  which  Henry  Martyn  afterwards 
planted  his  foot. 

A  college  life,  especially  when  studious,  is  as 
uniform,  and  as  little  fertile  in  topics  of  general 
interest,  as  the  plains  of  the  Pampas.  The  mo- 
notony of  it  is  not  badly  represented  in  these 

words  to  his  mother.    'You  give  a  picture 

of  domestic  ease.  I  have  only  to  say,  I  am 
writing  close  by  the  fire,  alone  in  my  room ;  the 
river    under    my  window    flowing  calmly; — ^the 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  67 

trees  making  a  gentle  noise  ; — the  bells  tolling  ; — 
the  night  dark.'  By  what  can  this  dull  uniform- 
ity be  relieved,  but  by  the  diversity  of  characters 
that  crowd  an  arena  like  that  of  Cambridge  ? 

An  interview  with  an  American,  with  whom 
he  had  been  at  school,  whose  family  had  known 
prosperity,  but  were  now  reduced  to  poverty,  who 
yet  could  '  rejoice  in  that  he  was  now  made 
low,'  summoned  up  sensations  that  are  seldom 
roused  from  their  recesses  in  the  human  breast. 
*  What  made  this  story  remarkable,'  he  says,  *  is 
that  since  we  were  at  school,  I  have  crossed  the 
Atlantic,  and  travelled  over  America,  his  native 
country;  and  yet  after  all  this,  notwithstanding 
the  then  flourishing  state  of  his  family,  we  are 
met  at  Cambridge, — pensioners  on  the  same 
bounty, — partakers  of  the  same  bread, — sup- 
ported by  the  same  friends, — laboring  for  the 
same  ends.' 

Collision  with  a  rigid  adherent  to  system  in  re- 
ligion, he  mentions,  likewise,  as  producing  a  variety, 
though  not  of  the  most  pleasing  kind,  in  the  tran- 
quil tenor  of  his  days.  He  was  a  man  given  to  the 
scholastic,  synthetical  mode  of  reading  the  scrip- 
tures, instead  of  adopting  the  popular  analytical 
method:  he  was  ever  trying  to  occupy  heights 
where  the  ground  is  slippery,  and  the  atmos- 
phere too  rarified  for  respiration;  Mr.  Thoma- 
son,  on  the  other  hand,  preferred  a  lower,  safer, 


68  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

and  more  habitable  region  of  the  mountain,  loving 
most  of  all  those  valleys  w^here  the  footsteps  of 
the  flock  are  distinctly  visible. 

His  account  of  this  person  and  of  himself 
when  brought  into  contact  with  him,  is  this — 
"With  many  amiable  qualities,  he  is  a  very 
high  Calvinist,  and  makes  the  most  rigid  tenets 
not  only  important,  but  necessary  to  salvation. 
It  has  always  been  a  matter  of  surprise  to  me 
that  religious  people  are  led  into  these  errors. 
The  marrow  of  the  Gospel  is  to  believe  in  Jesus 
Christ:  and  the  life  of  religion  is  to  have  him 
formed  in  us  as  the  hope  of  glory.  For  my 
part,  what  the  Bible  says,  I  must  believe;  and 
what  I  cannot  reconcile,  I  leave.  There  are  diffi- 
culties on  both  sides ;  but  this  is  certain,  and 
agreed  on  all  hands,  that  they  who  go  to  Christ 
"shall  in  nowise  be  cast  out."  This  is  a  com- 
fortable text,  and  I  have  often  pleaded  the  promise 
on  my  knees  before  God ;  a  promise  which  opens 
the  door  of  heaven  to  a  lost  race,  and  shews  us 
a  reconciled  God,  smiling  upon  us  with  the 
tenderness  and  love  of  a  father." 

Allied  to  these  sensations,  were  those  arising 
from  the  refusal  of  ordination  to  an  acquaintance 
of  his  own  college,  against  whose  conduct  no- 
thing could  be  alleged,  except  that  he  was 
enrolled  in  Magdalen,  by  whose  gates  the 
martyr  Bilney  was  wont  in  olden  time  to  pass 


REV.    THOMAS  THOMASON.  69 

on  visits  of  mercy  to  the  castle,  and  within 
whose  walls  Bilney's  doctrines  were  then  pre- 
valent. The  master  of  the  college  generously 
took  up  the  young  man's  cause,  but  his  defence 
and  remonstrances  were  unavailing.  To  relate 
this,  without  an  expression  of  thankfulness  in 
comparing  that  period  with  the  present,  would 
be  unpardonable.  May  it  never  happen  that  a 
follower  of  Cranmer,  Latimer,  and  Herbert,  is 
rejected  from  serving  at  our  altars !  Far  too 
admirable  is  the  Church  of  England  to  be  en- 
dangered by  such  rejections. 

Of  a  visit  he  made,  in  company  with  two 
college  friends,  one  of  whom  died  the  Sunday 
after  his  ordination,  to  Mr.  Venn,  the  author  of 
that  admirable  work  the  Complete  Duty  of  Man, 
Mr.  Thomason  speaks  with  unusual  interest.  All 
that  fell  from  the  lips  of  that  holy  man,  then 
languishing  in  body,  but  in  soul  rejoicing  like  a 
strong  man  to  run  a  race,  was  listened  to  with 
wonder  and  avidity  by  these  young  collegians. 
The  expression  that  sank  into  Mr.  Thomason's 
mind  was,  '  In  what  a  state  should  I  now  be  had 
I  only  the  Socinians'  God  to  trust  to.'  Mr.  Jer- 
ram  to  this  day  retains  an  unfading  remembrance 
of  that  most  instructive  and  encouraging  inter- 
view. 'We  obtained  a  letter  of  introduction  from 
Mr.  Simeon,  and  I  shall  never  forget  the  sensa- 
tion which  this  visit  produced.     It  was  one  of  the 


TO  MEMOIR    OP    THE 

most  memorable  days  of  my  life,  and  I  believe 
my  friend  Thomason  viewed  it  in  the  same  light. 
Mr.  Venn  appeared  to  us  all  as  a  being  of  a 
superior  order— eminently  a  man  of  God.  His 
love  of  piety — his  lofty  conceptions  of  the  gran- 
deur of  the  Christian  religion,  and  the  extent 
of  his  ultimate  triumphs — his  unbounded  con- 
fidence in  God — his  exalted  views  of  the  impor- 
tance and  dignity  of  the  Christian  ministry — his 
ardent  feelings  and  animated  countenance — his 
glowing  eloquence  and  affectionate  address — his 
extensive  acquaintance  with  the  wisest  and  best 
men  of  the  last  generation,  and  his  inexhaustible 
stores  of  anecdote  filled  us  all  with  admiration, 
and  left  an  impression  on  my  mind  which  has  not 
yet  been  effaced,  and  which  for  many  months 
after  the  interview  was  as  fresh  and  vivid  as  at 
the  time  it  was  produced.  This  extraordinary 
man  did  not  die  like  common  Christians.  The 
late  Mr.  Robinson  of  Leicester  told  me  that  he 
visited  Mr.  Venn  in  his  last  illness,  and  began 
to  speak  to  him,  to  use  Mr.  Robinson's  words, 
*in  my  poor  way.'  O,  exclaimed  Mr.  Venn, 
that  is  poor  comfort,  brother,  here  is  the  passage 
I  build  on,  "  Who  hath  spoiled  principalities  and 
powers,  and  hath  made  a  shew  of  them  openly, 
triumphing  over  them  in  it."  These  words  he 
uttered  with  an  energy  and  animation  peculiar  to 
himself,     His  mini  was  filled  w^ith  the  contera« 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  71 

plation  of  a  triumph,  and  he  anticipated  nothing 
less  than  soon  meeting  a  victorious  Saviour,  who 
shall  tread  all  enemies  under  his  feet.' 

That  Mr.  Thomason  did  not  lose  sight  of  higher 
objects,  v^hen  he  concentrated  his  intellectual 
powers,  and  bent  their  focus  on  mathematics,  is 
plain  from  what  he  says  of  his  success  in  the 
schools.  "I  passed  through  them  with  much 
more  honor  than  I  could  have  expected,  consider- 
ing the  great  disadvantages  under  which  I  labour. 
I  find  it  necessary  to  be  on  my  guard.  The  Lord 
keep  me  watchful  and  humble,  and  enable  me, 
when  engaged  in  worldly  business,  to  be  fervent 
in  heavenly  affections."  In  the  same  spirit  of 
lowliness  and  self-recollection  he,  this  year,  re- 
ceived information  of  his  having  obtained  the 
Norrisian  prize.  His  essay  was  to  prove  "  That 
the  holy  scriptures,  rightly  understood,  do  not 
give  encouragement  to  enthusiasm  or  supersti- 
tion : "  and  it  was  pronounced  the  best,  as  one 
of  the  judges  told  him,  amidst  many  others 
of  eminent  merit.  The  reward  was  a  gold  medal 
and  books.  In  announcing  to  Mrs.  Thornton  this 
event,  which  filled  him  with  joy,  and  cast  a 
bright  and  broad  light  on  his  future  prospects, 
*  Blessed  be  his  name,'  he  says,  'he  has  given 
me  to  know  that  of  all  human  attainments,  none 
is  capable  of  giving  happiness.  Nor  is  any  wor- 
thy the  name  of  wisdom.     The  fear  of  the  Lord, 


72  MEMOIR   OF    THE 

that  is  wisdom,  and  to  depart  from  evil  is  un- 
derstanding/  And  to  his  mother  he  writes, 
'Against  all  expectations  I  have  succeeded,  and 
I  rejoice  ;  I  know  what  pleasure  it  will  give  you, 
and  it  is  my  delight  to  add  to  your  comforts. 
It  will  be  a  testimony  to  Mrs.  Thornton  and  to 
the  society  who  have  sent  me  here,  that  I  havo 
not  misspent  my  time.' 

An  extract   or   two   from  such   an    essay  can 
afford  no  adequate  idea  of  it  as  a  composition ;  it 
is  like   producing  detached   stones   as   specimens 
of  architectural  design  ;    but  they  may  serve  to 
shew  his  general   tone   of  sentiment. — "God    is 
love — language  could  go   no    further.      And  this 
revelation  of  his  love  is  as  great  a  demonstration 
of  it  as  is  probable  to  conceive.     Conscious  of  a 
depraved  nature,  the  creature  would,  without  such 
a  condescension  on  the  part  of  the  Deity,  tremble 
at  approaching  hira.     Awed  by  the  terrors  of  his 
majesty,  he  would  not  dare  to  look  upward.     But 
when  the  Deity  vouchsafes  to  reveal  his  mercy, 
and  offers  the  most  convincing  argument  of  love 
that  could  be  devised,  by  the  gift  of  his  only  Son, 
he  begins  to  entertain  hopes  of  acceptance  with  so 
merciful  a  being,  and  is  gradually  led  on  from  the 
terrors  of  slavish  fear  to  a  sense  of  his  favour  and 
expectation  of  his  glory. 

**  Whatever  professions  are  made,  or  hopes  enter- 
tained, unless  they  are    attended   by  a  conscien- 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  73 

tious  discharge  of  our  duty,  the  scripture  pro- 
nounces them  a  delusion.  All  idle  dreams  of 
future  happiness,  and  groundless  hopes  of  reward 
are  reprobated.  Our  conduct*  is  the  only  test  of 
our  sincerity. 

"Christianity  is  much  misunderstood.  Many 
suppose  it  productive  of  melancholy:  but  this 
arises  from  not  observing  the  genuine  tendency 
of  the  scriptures.  It  is  calculated  to  establish, 
not  to  destroy,  our  happiness :  to  fill  us  with  that 
peace  that  flows  from  a  hope  of  immortality ;  not 
to  alarm  our  fears  and  embitter  our  lives.  Enthu- 
siasm is  as  pointedly  reprobated  as  superstition. 
Our  religion  must  be  reasonable,  consistent, 
uniform :  our  faith  must  jstand  on  a  solid  founda- 
tion that  can  bear  the  severest  scrutiny:  it  must 
be  confirmed  by  the  fullest  conviction  of  our 
judgment." 

These  brief  selections  are  sufficient  to  disprove 
the  errors  cherished  concerning  that  school  of 
divinity  in  which  Mr.  Thomason  had  been  brought 
up.  Can  plainer  testimonies  be  adduced  against 
whatever  is  visionary  and  unsound  in  opinion, 
unholy  in  practice.  Yet  to  some  or  other  of  these 
extremes,  to  both  not  unfrequently,  persons  of  Mr. 
Thomason's  stamp  are  accused  of  tending.  Pre- 
judice breathes  and  sees  and  hears  in  an  atmos- 
phere of  its  own ;  could  it  once  be  dragged  or 
allured  into  a  purer  air,  it  would  expire. 
7 


74  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

At  the  commencement  of  the  last,  the  deci- 
sive term,  Mr.  Thomason's  studies  received  so 
serious  an  interruption,  that  had  he  been 
endued  with  less  mental  elasticity,  it  must 
have  proved  fatal  to  all  hopes  of  honor  in  the 
Senate  House.  It  v^as  a  proposal  from  the  late 
Charles  Grant,  Esq.  "Magnum  et  venerabile 
nomen,"  to  fill  the  Mission  Church  at  Calcutta. 
This  call  Mr.  Thomason,  acting  in  the  spirit  of 
the  words  '  non  magna  relinquo,  magna  sequor,' 
was  not  unwilling  to  obey.  The  agitation  of  this 
question,  requiring  as  it  did  much  anxious  thought, 
could  not  but  fail  of  obstructing  a  course  of  reading. 
Newton  was  first  partially  then  wholly  laid  aside. 
It  was  introductory  also  to  a  step  influential  in  the 
highest  degree  on  his  future  liappiness.  To  the 
idea  of  parting  with  her  son,  agoniznjg  under  any 
aspect,  his  mother  could  not  be  reconciled  unless 
an  union  were  affected,  promising  a  substitution 
in  a  distant  land  for  her  tenderness  and  care  over 
him  in  England.  To  Carlise  therefore  he  went 
to  solicit  the  hand  of  one  for  whom  he  had  long 
cherished  a  warm  though  secret  attachment ;  but 
no  sooner  had  he  obtained  her  consent,  and  his 
mother  at  an  immense  expense  of  feeling  had 
agreed  to  surrender  him,  than  apprehensions 
arose  that  an  Indian  climate  might  be  detrimental 
to  Miss  F.'s  delicate  health.  These  fears,  com- 
binded  with  some  reluctance  on  her  part  to  leave 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  75 

England,  caused  him  to  waver  in  his  design :  and 
an  event  occurring  shortly  after,  afflictive  to  him 
beyond  any  previous  dispensation,  to  his  mother 
absolutely  overwhelming,  he  resolved  to  decline 
the  appointment,  which  was  then  offered  to  Mr. 
Buchanan  of  Queen's  College,  and  by  him  [ac- 
cepted. 

Upon  this  decision  Mr.  Jerram  remarks  with 
his  usual  ability,  and  w^ith  the  discriminating 
judgment  of  a  wisely  observant  Christian,  '  Here 
we  cannot  but  notice  the  wisdom  and  goodness 
of  divine  Providence  in  so  over-ruling  events  as 
to  bring  about  the  best  final  results.  Had  Mr. 
Thomason  accepted  the  chaplaincy  he  would 
have  been  a  very  faithful  and  efficient  minister 
of  the  gospel,  and  have  done  much  good.  But  I 
question  whether  at  that  time  it  would  have 
extended  much  beyond  the  immediate  sphere 
of  his  labours.  He  was  young,  decidedly  pious, 
devoted  and  active,  and  must  have  been  a  bless- 
ing wherever  he  was  stationed.  He  had  an 
extraordinary  facility  in  learning  languages,  and 
would  have  become  an  eminent  oriental  scholar, 
and  in  all  probability  India  would  .have  been 
eminently  benefitted  by  his  translations  of  the 
Scriptures  into  more  than  one  of  their  vernacular 
tongues.  But  I  do  not  think  he  would  have 
exercised  a  commanding  influence,  nor  formed 
any  very  comprehensive   plans  for    the    benefit 


76  ME3I0IR    OF   THE 

of  that  vast  continent,  nor  have  entered  at  all 
in  that  almost  boundless  field  in  which  Dr. 
Buchanan  rendered  himself  so  eminently  con- 
spicuous, and  which  he  cultivated  with  such  great 
advantage"  to  the  millions  of  India. 

'Of  all  the  literary  and  pious  men  which 
Cambridge  at  that  time  possessed — few,  perhaps 
none,  had  the  peculiarly  appropriate  qualifications 
of  Dr.  Buchanan  for  that  important  station.  His 
mind  was  calm,  intellectual,  and  comprehensive. 
His  manners  reserved,  dignified,  commanding.  His 
literary  attainments  were  considerable,  and  gave 
promise  of  great  increase.  He  sought,  acquired, 
and  effectually  sustained  a  place  in  the  society 
of  the  most  learned  men  in  the  University :  even 
whilst  an  undergraduate,  there  was  an  elevation 
about  him  which  left  younger  men  of  inferior 
talents  and  attainment,  but  ill  at  ease  in  his 
presence.  His  very  appearance  conveyed  the 
idea  of  a  person  destined  to  do  things  at  which 
others  would  never  aim,  and  to  carry  measures 
on  a  scale  of  magnitude  to  which  few  would  find 
themselves  equal,  or  dream  of  accomplishing. 
When  it  is  added,  that  Dr.  Buchanan  was  as 
eminent  for  his  piety — as  distinguished  for  his 
talents — as  simple  in  his  manners  as  he  was 
dignified  in  his  appearance — as  single  in  heart  as 
comprehensive  in  mind — as  attentive  in  the  dis- 
charge of  very  humble  duties  as  he  was  active  in 


REV.    THOMAS  THOMASON.  77 

planning  and  vigorous  in  executing  schemes  for 
Christianizing  the  immense  population  of  India, — 
no  doubt  will  be  felt  that  the  loss  of  Mr.  Thoma- 
son's  labours  at  that  particular  crisis  was  more 
than  compensated  by  those  of  Dr.  Buchanan.' 

Under  the  affliction  which  contributed  mainly 
to  cut  the  thread  of  Mr.  Thomason's  designs  and 
left  the  situation  he  would  have  filled,  open  to 
Dr.  Buchanan,  he  expresses  himself  in  this 
strain  of  submissive  suffering. 

'  My  soul  is  pained  to  the  quick.  I  hope  that 
it  is  not  all  over,  and  that  these  eyes  may  see  her 
once  more.  She  is  perpetually  on  my  heart — 
chained  to  it  with  links  of  adamant.  I  cannot 
express  my  peculiar  fondness  for  her,  and  the 
pain  I  have  felt, — it  is  like  wrenching  away  a 
part  of  myself  The  sword  has  passed  through 
my  soul.  It  seems  almost  a  dream  that  my 
beloved  M.  should  be  snatched  away :  it  appears 
too  dreadful  to  be  true.  But  I  remember,  I 
shall  go  to  her — this  is  the  balm  that  infuses 
comfort.  You  and  I  shall  go  to  her ;  and  how 
shall  we  find  her,  weak  and  helpless  ?  exposed  to 
disease  and  death?  Nay,  healed  of  all  infirmities, 
possessed  of  all  perfections.  How  shall  we  find 
her  employed?  Her  business  is  praise, — and  this 
will  be  our  business  too ;  wherefore  let  us  comfort 
one  another.' 

Having  thus  poured  out  his  sorrows  and  conso- 
7* 


78 


MEMOIR   OF   THE 


lations,  in  a  subsequent  communication  he  writes 
to  his  mother — 'M —  is  no  more, — but  I  am 
restored  to  you.  Yes,  I  was  resolved  you  should 
not  lose  tw^o  of  your  children  at  once,  and  have 
entirely  given  up  the  thought  of  leaving  the  king- 
dom. The  death  of  M.  has  decided  the  point. 
All  my  friends  here  rejoice  at  my  determination.' 

His  mjnd  having  been  checked  in  that  close 
attention  requisite  for  obtaining  a  distinguished 
degree  at  Cambridge,  his  spirits  exquisitely 
wounded,  he  addressed  himself  again  to  the 
arduous  business  of  attempting  to  recover  his  lost 
ground.  *You  would  pity  me  if  you  knew 
how  hardly  I  am  driven,'  was  his  account  of 
himself  in  the  midst  of  his  breathless  efforts 
— his  vehement  contention  at  the  end  of  the 
year  1795:  yet  he  could  *  bless  God  that  his 
affections  w^ere  not  engrossed  with  his  studies ; 
and  that  he  was  enabled,  in  some  measure,  to  go 
through  his  daily  occupations  as  God's  servant.' 

Here  we  have  religion  producing  its  legitimate 
results,  imparting  a  lustre  and  a  fragrancy  to 
ordinary  employments,  sanctifying — elevating — 
controuling — sustaining.  Who  can  doubt  but 
that  the  mind  thus  poised  and  balanced  was 
able  to  exert  itself  with  new  alacrity  and  with 
increased  effect.  The  station  Mr.  Thomason 
attained  after  the  usual  examination  was  that  of 
fifth  wrangler,  a  position  most  honourable  in  itself, 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  79 

and  in  a  relative  sense  meriting  a  stronger  desig- 
nation. But  whatever  its  value,  when  tried  by  a 
standard  purely  intellectual,  if  a  Christian  esti- 
mate be  adopted,  its  worth  will  be  immeasurably 
enhanced.  It  was  sought  as  for  God;  it  was 
received  in  a  spirit,  which  under  total  failure 
would  have  prevented  the  excitement  of  feverish 
irritation,  or  the  collapse  of  sullen  disappoint- 
ment ;  and  which  in  the  moment  of  exultation, 
humbly  referred  success  to  the  goodness  of  God, 
and  devoutly  consecrated  it  to  his  glory. 


80  MEMOIR   OF   THE 


CHAPTER  IV. 


If  ever  the  sands  of  life  may  be  termed  golden, 
those  are  so  which  pass  in  the  interval  between 
taking  an  academical  degree,  and  entering  holy 
orders.  Time,  ever  precious,  acquires  then  a 
tenfold  value  ; — would  that  our  universities  were 
solicitous  to  turn  it  to  that  account  of  which  it  is 
susceptible.  Schools  of  the  prophets  amongst  the 
Jews,  kindred  institutions  in  the  early  Chris- 
tian church,  are  admired,  but  not  imitated. 
That  the  bow  which  has  been  long  and  tightly 
strung,  requires  relaxation  ;  that  midnight  lamps 
and  studious  seclusion  should  be  succeeded  by 
the  sunshine  of  cheerful  scenes,  commends  itself 
at  once  as  reasonable.  But  let  not  the  conces- 
sion be  abused.  Many  choosing  the  ministry, 
as  they  choose  heaven,  because  the  least  excep- 
tionable of  other  alternatives,  mis-spend  this 
invaluable  period  in  foreign  or  domestic  dissipa- 
tion ;  and  then  rush  into  the  clerical  office  with- 
out those  indispensable  pre-requisites,  sound 
knowledge  and  Christian  love.  He  will  not  thus 
approach  the  heavenly  function  who  is  truly 
called  to  it  of  God.     Such  had  been  Mr.  Thorn- 


REV.    THOMAS   TH03IAS0N.  81 

asoii's  education,  so  completely  had  the  study 
of  divinity  made  a  part  of  it,  that  an  appearance 
before  the  bishop  immediately  after  his  degree, 
would  not,  in  his  case,  have  been  precipitate. 
In  Mr.  Clark,  in  his  college  tutors,  in  Mr.  Simeon 
above  all,  he  had  been  greatly  assisted  in  becom- 
ing a  "workman  that  needeth  not  be  ashamed." 
All  their  aids  were  so  many  incitements  to  dili- 
gence still  greater,  at  this  important  juncture. 
We  find  him,  accordingly,  making  a  scriptural 
digest  of  all  passages  connected  with  his  sacred 
vocation :  reading  the  word  of  God  in  the  original 
tongues ;  translating  part  of  it  (the  book  of  Job) ; 
making  himself  master  of  Josephus  in  Greek; 
and  acquainting  himself  with*  those  admirable 
compositions,  the  Homilies  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land, which,  if  perused  attentively  by  all  who 
think  of  becoming  ministers  to  the  Church  of 
England,  would  teach  them  that  doctrine  which  the 
church  expects  her  bishops,  priests,  and  deacons 
at  all  times  to  inculcate  ;  for  to  maintain  that 
the  framers  of  our  Articles  intended  to  bind  the 
men  of  this  and  of  every  age,  to  predicate  the 
exclusive  suitableness  of  the  Homilies  to  the  times 
in  which  theij  were  composed^  is  an  absurdity  and 
subterfuge  admitting  few  parallels.  In  addition 
to  all  this,  under  the  guidance  of  Professor  Car- 
lisle, he  bent  himself  to  the  acquisition  of  Arabic. 
For  the  Norrisian  prize  also  b©  again  was  a  com" 


82 


MEMOIR    OF    THE 


petitor ;  and  though  unsuccessful,  and  not  uncon- 
scious of  disappointment,  was  the  first  to  com- 
municate the  news  of  victory  to  the  friend  from 
whom  he  had  sustained  the  defeat. 

From  the  pen  of  Mr.  Jerram,  this  very  friend, 
we  have  the  account  of  what  took  place  at  this 
moment  of  friendly  rivalry.  And  as  it  is  an 
observation  as  old  as  the  days  of  Martial,  a 
remark  too  often  verified  under  the  light  of  the 
gospel,  that  whilst  generosity  from  one  friend 
towards  another  is  not  unfrequent,  whilst  money 
or  even  lands  may  be  liberally  bestowed,  conces- 
sion to  intellectual  superiority  is  yielded  grudgingly 
and  rarely,  Mr.  Jerram's  recital  will  be  read  with 
a  pleasing  perception  of  the  commanding  power 
of  Christian  principles. 

"  In  connection  with  our  religious  studies, 
Thomason  and  myself  had  thought  it  right  to 
enter  the  list  of  candidates,  during  two  successive 
years,  for  the  annual  Norrisian  prize  :  which 
consists  of  a  gold  medal  and  some  books,  for  the 
best  essay  on  some  moral  or  religious  subject 
given  out  by  the  professor.  And  I  allude  to  this 
simply  to  illustrate  a  fine  trait  in  my  friend's 
character.  In  the  first  of  our  attempts,  Thom- 
ason obtained  the  prize,  and  in  the  second  I 
was  his  successful  rival.  On  the  latter  occasion 
some  considerable  delay  took  place  in  announcing 
to  whom   the  medal   was    adjudged.      We    had 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  83 

heard  indeed  that  it  was  again  destined  to  our 
College,  and  we  hoped  it  would  find  its  way  up 
our  stair-case.  I  happened  one  morning  to  be 
looking  out  of  my  window^  and  saw  one  of  the 
university  beadles  entering  our  court  and  ap- 
proaching our  part  of  it.  He  ascended  our  stair- 
case, came  near  my  door,  passed  by  it,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  Thomason's.  I  will  not  conceal  my 
feelings  at  that  moment,  nor  deny  that  I  instantly 
fell  on  my  knees  to  beseech  God  to  preserve  me 
from  envying  the  success  of  my  dear  friend  and  to 
enable  me  to  rejoice  in  it.  I  had  scarcely  risen 
when  Thomason  hastened  into  my  room,  followed 
by  the  beadle,  and  with  a  gladness  of  heart  which 
I  shall  never  forget,  told  me  that  the  prize  was 
awarded  to  me,  and  that  the  beadle,  not  knowing 
my  room,  had  called  at  his  and  asked  where  he 
could  find  me.  I  sincerely  believe  my  friend 
could  scarcely  have  rejoiced  more  had  he  a  second 
time  succeeded.  I  may  add  that  on  two  or  three 
future  occasions  he  wrote  for  and  obtained  the 
prize."  Nor  was  this,  in  Mr.  Thomason,  the 
mere  ebullition  of  the  moment.  In  the  same 
noble  spirit  of  disinterestedness  and  affection  he 
wrote  to  his  mother  and  apprized  her  of  the  result. 
*I  have  lost  the  prize:  Jerram  has  got  it.  I  am 
not  mortified  ;  it  is  still  in  the  family,  a  young 
man  of  the  same  college,  of  the  same  church  and 
profession,     I  have  had  it  once,  it  ill  becomes  me 


84  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

to  murmur.'  More  admirable  surely  than  any 
medal  of  gold  ;  more  graceful  and  ennobling  than 
all  the  favours  universities  can  bestow,  was  this 
mutual  self-denying  friendship.  Difficult  it  is  to 
determine  to  which  of  these  two  Christian  friends 
these  lines  were  most  strictly  applicable — 

*  Nee  quo  candidior  laudes  aut  la^tior  alter 
Promovet  alterius — propriasve  modeslior  audit.' 

The  society  which  had  carried  Mr.  Thomason 
through  his  college  career,  was  now  obliged  to 
leave  him  wholly  to  his  own  resources  ;  and  he  was 
at  first  like  those  parasitical  plants  from  which  the 
props  have  been  withdrawn.  Happily  for  him 
the  credit  of  his  degree  was  not  an  empty  sound ; 
of  substantial  use  was  it  at  this  moment.  In  the 
spring  of  1796  an  offer  of  a  private  tutorship  was 
accepted  by  him  at  Baldock ;  where,  in  a  situa- 
tion of  comfort,  profit,  and  usefulness,  prosecuting 
an  employment  so  easy  as  not  to  interfere  with 
his  more  appropriate  studies,  he  was  fixed  till  his 
ordination.  From  this  retreat  he  looked  back  with 
admiring  thankfulness  ;  forward  with  animated 
affiance.  'My  soul,'  he  could  affirm,  'has  been 
much  blessed,  and  I  have  been  enabled  to  live  more 
in  a  state  of  prayer  than  I  ever  remember  to  have 
done.  I  long  to  know  more  of  the  power  of  re- 
ligion, and  to  realize  the  things  of  eternity ; — 
blessed  be  God  for  what  he  has  done  for  me  in 
this  respect.     My  birth-day  was  distinguished  by 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  8# 

nothing  but  a  firm  determination  to  give  myself 
more  unreservedly  to  God,  with  the  divine  assist- 
ance. When  I  look  back  and  consider  what  has 
been  done  for  me,  I  am  like  a  traveller  at  the  foot 
of  the  Alps, — he  sees  mountains  above  mountains, 
— I  see  mercy  beyond  mercy.' 

To  his  mother  at  Totness,  the  place  of  her 
first  and  fondest  recollections,  he  wrote  from 
Baldock, — '  Tracing  back  the  events  of  twenty 
years,  what  mercies  and  afflictions  have  you  re- 
ceived. You  have  been  very  destitute,  but  the 
goodness  of  God  hath  followed  you ;  and  the 
greatest  of  all  mercies  is,  he  hath  brought  you  to 
fear  Him,  and  separated  you  from  the  world. 
Take  a  retrospect  of  the  days  and  months  of 
affliction,  and  how  is  the  prospect  brightened  by 
God's  causing  you  to  love  him,  his  ways  and  his 
word.  You  stand  in  Totness  as  upon  Pisgah. 
Behind  you  is  the  wilderness ;  before  you  is 
the  land  of  promise,  to  which  I  trust  you  are 
hastening.' 

The  month  of  October,  the  time  for  Mr. 
Thomason's  ordination,  drawing  near,  in  imitation 
of  the  highest  and  holiest  example,  he  set 
apart  a  season  for  fasting  and  prayer.  A  week 
was  devoted  by  him  'to  entreat  the  Lord  to 
prepare  him  for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  and 
to  give  him  a  more  lively  zeal  for  his  glory  in 
deadness  to  the  world,  and  such  a  delightful  and 
8 


86  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

animating  view  of  his  beauty  and  sufficiency  as 
Redeemer,  as  should  fill  his  soul  with  love  and 
praise.'  The  approaching  examination  by  the 
Bishop  of  Ely  could  not  be  at  all  formidable  to 
one  whose  mind,  like  his,  was  well  stored  with 
divinity :  but  an  ordeal  of  another  kind  he  did 
dread.  Prepossessed,  unhappily,  as  the  Bishop 
had  been  against  Mr.  Simeon,  no  young  man, 
who  had  been  an  attendant  at  Trinity  Church, 
could  escape  suspicion  at  Ely.  A  letter,  indeed, 
from  his  lordship,  highly  commendatory  of  his 
Norrisian  prize  essay,  in  some  measure  allayed 
these  apprehensions,  until  his  admission  to  an 
interview  with  the  bishop,  when  they  were  re- 
doubled, and  rejection  seemed  inevitable.  But 
the  sun  struggled  through  the  clouds ;  explana- 
tion was  accepted,  misconceptions  gave  way,  and 
the  bishop,  expressing  his  good  opinion  of  Mr. 
Simeon's  intentions,  conceding  his  right  to  judge 
for  himself  on  the  points  of  difference,  and  satis- 
fied also  with  the  competency  of  Mr.  Thomason, 
laid  his  hands  upon  his  head  Oct.  16,  1796, 
and  gave  him  his  commission  as  deacon.  And 
if,  when  viewing  the  cathedral  as  he  did  some 
months  before,  these  were  his  reflections  and 
prayers,  "  To  be  a  carnal  priest  is  no  trifling 
matter.  I  earnestly  pray  God  to  take  me  out 
of  the  world  if  his  omniscient  eye  foresees  that  I 
shall  dishonour  him  by  the  unfaithful  exercise  of 


REV.    THOMA.S    THOMASON.  87 

SO  holy  a  profession :'  With  what  awe  and  abase- 
ment did  he  kneel  before  the  altar  and  join  in 
that  affecting  silent  prayer  which  is  succeeded 
by  the  burst  of  supplicatory  song,  in  which  the 
congregation  suddenly  unite  !  '  I  cannot  give  you 
an  idea  of  what  I  felt  as  I  entered  the  cathedral : 
and  now  that  I  am  returned,  I  have  a  w^eight  on 
my  mind  I  cannot  describe.  If  I  have  been 
hasty  and  forw^ard  in  undertaking  so  holy  an 
office,  I  pray  the  Lord  to  pardon  me,  and  to  qual- 
ify me  for  the  work  that  lies  before  me  ;  then 
shall  I  preach  as  in  the  presence  of  the  Judge 
of  quick  and  dead.' 

Thus  did  he  unbosom  himself  to  his  mother, 
whose  joy  as  well  as  Mrs.  Thornton's  on  this  occa- 
sion may  be  imagined  by  those  who  have  tasted  a 
felicity  purer  than  any  that  has  its  rise  on  earth. 
Their  plans,  counsels,  prayers,  had  been  crowned 
with  a  rnarked  blessing.  The  seed  had  been  cast 
abroad,  the  harvest  reaped.  The  object  of  their 
unceasing  affection  was  now  a  minister  of  the 
church  of  England,  and  the  satisfaction  derived 
from  this  event  was  greatly  enhanced  by  the 
circumstances  under  which  he  commenced  his 
ministry.  The  curacy  of  Trinity  Church,  Cam- 
bridge, and  that  of  Stapleford,  about  five  miles 
distant  from  that  town,  were  committed  to  him ; 
he  w-as  there  a  fellow-labourer  with  Mr.  Simeon, 
and    this    w^as    justly   deemed  by  them  no  small 


88  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

advantage  to  a  young  minister  just  beginning  his 
clerical  course. 

'The  reflection  that  one  is  standing  up  in  the 
presence  of  God,  speaking  for  eternity  to  im- 
mortal souls  who  are  hearing  for  eternity,  has  a 
solemn  effect.  I  find,  however,  that  it  brings 
with  it  peculiar  temptations.  I  have  to  struggle 
with  many  inward  trials,  to  which  before  I  was  a 
stranger.'  These  are  his  remarks  on  the  more 
public  exercises  of  his  function  in  which  he  com- 
plains of  not  finding  that  comfort  he  expected. 
In  another  branch  of  his  ministry  it  was  far  other- 
wise :  his  aptitude  in  teaching  the  young  was 
unusual ;  the  work  of  catechising,  therefore,  was 
proportionably  pleasant.  What  to  many  is  an 
effort,  to  him  was  a  work  as  easy  and  gratifying 
as  it  appears  to  have  been  to  Bishop  Andrews, 
who  is  thus  described  by  our  great  poet — 

'  Caelestique  animos  saturantem  rore  tenellos 
Grande  salutiferae  religionis  opus.' 

If  to  represent  the  bishop  as  finding  pleasure  in 
the  humble  work  of  catechising,  were  no  poetical 
fiction  ;  equally  true  was  it,  that  the  curate  of 
Stapleford  was  not  less  diligent  or  less  delighted 
with  that  occupation.  He  was  in  the  habit 
of  reaching  the  village  at  six  in  the  morning, 
and  bestowing  two  hours  in  instructing  the  chil- 
dren before  church. — Such  was  the  tenor  of  his 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMPSON. 


89 


ministerial  life ;  and  that  it  was  progressively  holy 
and  happy,  his  observations  at  the  close  of  the 
year  indicate :  '  My  sermons  are  not  written 
without  much  study  and  prayer.  Preaching  on 
the  Parables  is  useful  to  myself  and  acceptable 
to  my  hearers.  At  Stapleford  the  congregation 
increases  ;  the  children  go  on  exceedingly  well ; 
my  friends  inform  me  my  voice  and  manner  of 
preaching  improve.  I  am  glad  to  hear  this,  as 
it  is  a  matter  of  importance  in  this  place.  I  bless 
God  my  view^s  of  the  great  business  in  which  I 
am  engaged,  and  my  desires  to  devote  myself  to 
God  and  his  cause  are  stronger  than  ever.' 

No  one  was  ever  more  elevated  above  all 
undue  regard  for  money  than  the  subject  of  this 
memoir;  he  never  could  be  unworthily  attracted 
by  the  coin  sticking  in  the  mire.*  A  certain 
style  of  living,  however,  w^as  necessary  at  Cam- 
bridge,  which  he  had  not  the  means  of  main- 
taining.  The  consideration  moved  him  sensibly, 
for  it  threatened  a  dissolution  of  his  connection 
wdth  Mr.  Simeon  and  his  flock,  tow^ards  all  of 
whom  he  entertained  a  growing  attachment  and 
interest.  Whilst  this  matter  was  pressing  heavily 
on  his  mind,  a  fellowship  and  lectureship  provi- 
dentially became  vacant  at  Queen's  College,  for 
which  he  lost  no  time  in  offering  himself  as  a 

*  Persius,  Sat.  v.  line  HI. 

8* 


90  MEMOIR   OF    THE 

candidate.  Dec.  29,  1796,  he  says,  *  /  am  wait- 
ing as  calmly  as  possible  for  the  determination  at 
Queen's  College,  which  will  take  place  next 
Tuesday  week.  I  leave  my  affairs  in  the  hands 
of  God.  He  knows  what  is  best  for  me,  and  will 
bring  it  to  pass.  It  is  an  important  interval  with 
me:  the  decision  of  that  day  will  determine  my 
situation  in  life.  If  I  should  not  go  to  Queen's, 
which  is  highly  probable,  it  is  certain  I  cannot 
live  any  longer  in  college.  It  seems  a  time  for  God 
to  work,  and  I  trust  he  will  work  and  influence  the 
decision  in  such  a  way  as  shall  extricate  me.' 
God  heard  his  prayer  and  gave  him  occasion  to 
exclaim,  '  How  much  has  a  single  week  brought 
forth ;  a  state  of  prosperity  is  always  dangerous, 
but  doubly  so  when  it  succeeds  one  of  adversity. 
In  a  moment  I  was  raised  from  a  dependant  pre- 
carious subsistence,  to  one  of  independence.  The 
more  I  consider  it,  the  more  I  am  astonished  at 
the  goodness  of  God.  When  I  look  around  and 
survey  my  comforts,  so  suitable  to  my  situation 
as  a  minister  and  as  a  student,  I  am  lost  in 
wonder :  the  Lord  is  indeed  good ;  Oh  !  that  I 
could  love  him  more.' 

Chosen  to  a  fellowship  and  assistant  tutor-ship 
in  Queen's  College,  the  year  1797  opened  on  Mr. 
Thomason  fraught  with  benefits  more  than  ade- 
quate to  his  wants  and  wishes,  but  bringing  on 
its  wings  new  and  untried  burdens,  for  he  had  to 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  91 

give  lectures  daily  in  Mathematics  and  in  Classics. 
A  collegiate  atmosphere  is  sometimes  injurious  to 
the  play  of  the  natural  affections,  and  still  oftener 
has  it  a  withering  effect  on  those  which  are  pastoral. 
Many  merge  the  minister  in  the  tutor :  far  more 
in  earnest  are  they  in  sharpening  the  intellects 
of  young  men  to  come  off  conquerors  in  the  senate 
house  than  in  desiring  to  see  Christians  victors  over 
the  world,  and  sinners  brought  out  of  darkness  into 
marvellous  light.  That  the  ministers  of  Jesus  Christ 
may  serve  the  Lord  in  this  department  many  have 
given  incontestible  proofs.  May  the  writer  be 
allowed  a  moment's  digression  to  allude  to  one,  the 
late  Rev.  T.  Loyd,  formerly  tutor  of  King's  College. 
The  path  he  trode  was  one  of  peculiar  sanctity : 
in  him  was  the  meekness  of  wisdom.  With  talents 
of  an  exalted  order,  with  spirituality  of  a  cast  still 
more  uncommon,  such  was  his  humility  that  a 
child  might  lead  him.  Yet,  when  conscience 
demanded  it,  he  could  assume  a  determined  front, 
exhibiting  a  fixedness  of  purpose  similar  to  his 
who,  in  a  moment  of  perplexity  and  peril,  uttered 
those  memorable  words,  '  Here  I  stand,  God  help 
me.'*  Many  of  his  pupils  rise  up  and  call 
him  blessed — he  does  so  who  bears  this  feeble 
but  faithful  testimony  to  his  worth.  In  a  spirit 
congenial  to  his,  Mr.  Thomason  engaged  in  the 

*  Luther. 


92  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

toils  and  duties  incumbent  upon  him.  In  them 
he  had  a  single  eye  to  God,  from  them  he  re- 
turned with  a  spring  of  gladness  to  the  more 
sacred  parts  of  his  calling.  To  have  his  pupils 
'  do  worthily  in  Ephratah  and  become  famous  in 
Israel',  was  not  with  him  a  matter  of  indif- 
ference but  of  hearty  desire,  and  of  persevering 
endeavour.  Yet  how  much  more  intensely  did  he 
long  to  hear  that  sinners  were  impressed  under 
his  sermons ;  and  how  much  more  vivid  was  his 
satisfaction  at  learning,  as  he  now  did  for  the  first 
time,  that  one  of  his  auditors  had  been  impressed 
deeply  by  a  discourse  which  he  had  preached  on 
the  parable  of  the  lost  piece  of  silver.  This  year 
England  lung  with  joy  for  one  of  our  great  naval 
victories ;  and  readily  as  he  could  sympathize  in 
national  weal  or  woe,  much  more  readily  did  he 
participate  in  those  sensations  which  cast  either 
a  light  or  a  shadow,  upon  the  pathway  of 
the  poor.  At  Lord  Duncan's  achievement,  to- 
gether with  all  his  countrymen,  he  rejoiced:  but 
when  he  witnessed,  as  he  did  at  this  period 
of  his  parochial  visitations,  the  last  enemy  sig- 
nally subdued  in  the  chamber  of  sickness  and 
dissolution,  he  rejoiced  more  than  those  who 
divide  the  spoil. 

In  the  autumn  of  this  year,  Mr.  Thomason 
visited  Carlisle,  and  on  his  way  thither  he  renewed 
his  intercourse  with  Mr.  Atkinson  of  Leeds,  the 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  93 

principal  manager  of  the  Elland  fund,  whose  con- 
duct towards  him  had  been,  from  the  very  first, 
paternal.  At  Carlisle  he  was  introduced  by  the 
Dean  to  his  brother,  that  eminent  servant  of  God, 
the  author  of  the  History  of  the  church  of  Christ. 
Of  him  he  could  say,  'tantum  vidi.'  But  the 
interview,  brief  as  it  was,  w^as  calculated  to  infix 
an  abiding  impression ;  for  shortly  after  this  Mr. 
Milner  exchanged  the  tabernacle  in  which  he  had 
here  groaned  for  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  chil- 
dren of  God.  This  was  a  time  of  great  privation 
to  our  church,  mere  than  one  bright  luminary  in 
our  ecclesiastical  heavens  being  darkened.  Mr. 
Cadogan,  in  the  early  part  of  this  year,  Mr. 
Milner,  in  the  latter,  were  consigned  to  the  tomb. 
Yet,  as  if  to  repair  these  desolations,  at  His  bid- 
ding who  restores  the  face  of  the  earth,  the  seeds 
of  the  Church  Missionary  Society  were  cast  into 
the  ground  and  began  to  vegetate.  'You  do  not 
perhaps  know  the  business,  he  wrote  to  his 
mother,  'that  brought  Mr.  Simeon  to  London. 
He  went  to  consult  Mr.  Wilberforce  about  insti- 
tuting a  missionary  society.  The  committee  is 
already  appointed,  they  will  meet  in  November, 
a  plan  will  be  submitted  to  the  public,  and  solici- 
tations made  for  subscriptions.'  Behold  here  the 
germ  of  that  institution,  the  design  of  which  is 
identical  with  that  which  brought  the  Son  of  God 
from  heaven,  and  which,  if  contrasted  with  anv 


94  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

project  terminating  on  this  side  the  grave,  is  as 
the  sun  shining  in  the  circuit  of  the  heavens  com- 
pared with  those  flickering  sparks  that  glitter  and 
vanish  in  the  embers  serving  only  to  amuse  the 
child.  What  this  society  has  already  done  v^ill 
be  known  in  eternity :  and  there,  alas !  will  it  be 
known  also  what  it  might  have  effected  had  no 
corrupt  formality,  no  spurious  charity,  no  worldly 
apathy,  no  unauthorized  speculation,  no  mistaken 
prejudices,  curtailed  its  exertions. 

By  Mr.  Milner's  death  a  lectureship  at  Hull, 
as  well  as  the  Mastership  of  the  Grammar-school 
in  that,  town,  became  vacant.  Mr.  Thomason's 
friends,  therefore,  recommended  his  offering  him- 
self as  his  successor,  and  the  Dean  of  Carlisle 
threw  his  powerful  interest  into  the  balance  sus- 
pended between  Mr.  Thomason  and  a  fellow 
of  St.  John's.  The  scale  inclined  eventually 
against  Mr.  Thomason,  the  inclination  being  de- 
termined by  a  single  vote  given,  as  was  afterwards 
learnt,  by  mere  caprice.  '  I  begin  to  be  more 
reconciled  to  my  late  disappointment.  I  see  it  is 
the  will  of  God,  and  am  contented  ;  my  situation 
here  is  in  all  respects  most  important;  would  I 
were  more  sensible  of  my  privileges,  and  more 
careful  to  improve  them.'  Thus  in  the  last  month 
of  the  year  1797,  did  he  comment  on  his  failure : 
proving  how  habitual  was  his  recognition  of  the 
inspired     declaration,     '  The     lot     is     cast     into 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  95 

the  lap,  but  the  whole  disposing  of  it  is  of  the 
Lord.' 

In  the  year  1798,  the  tutorship  in  Queen's  Col- 
lege was  consigned  to  Mr.  Thomason.  Two  public 
and  two  private  lectures,  consequently,  were  his 
daily  allotment  of  duty,  and  in  the  necessary  ab- 
sence of  Mr.  Simeon,  five  sermons  also  in  the  week 
devolved  upon  him.  No  one  could  long  bear  up 
under  fatigue  so  exhausting,  nor  would  he  in  the 
present  altered  circumstances  of  the  university 
have  been  subjected  to  the  labour  of  five  sermons, 
though  he  might  still  have  been  exposed  to  that 
of  four  lectures.  It  can  hardly  be  credited  how 
difficult  it  was  in  those  days  to  obtain  a  substitute 
in  Mr.  Simeon's  church.  Those  who  worshipped 
there  were  supposed  to  have  left  common  sense, 
discretion,  sobriety,  attachment  to  the  establish- 
ment, a  love  for  the  liturgy,  and  almost  whatever 
else  is  true  and  of  good  report,  in  the  vestibule. 
What  an  abandonment  of  reputation  then  was 
it  to  officiate  there,  and  what  wonder  if  Mr. 
Simeon  being  absent,  upon  Mr.  Thomason  alone 
the  weekly  supply  of  five  sermons  should  have 
rested.  It  was  while  sustaining  this  ministerial 
pressure,  that  a  letter  reached  him,  from  the  pen 
of  his  earliest  friend  and  adviser,  replete  with 
salutary  cautions  respecting  the  temptations  inci- 
dent to  his  station.  Eagle  eyed  for  him  on  all 
occasions,  she  might  have  feared  the  effects  of 


96  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

excess  in  writing  sermons  and  in  preaching.  She 
might  have  been  alarmed  lest  he  should  be  casting 
the  net  so  often  as  to  allow  no  time  for  mending  it. 
She  might  have  dreaded  a  rapid,  heartless  fluency, 
superseding  that  unction  and  solidity,  that  pathos 
and  solemnity  of  address,  when  the  preacher 
speaks,  as  if  he  saw  the  face  of  God.  But  it  was 
danger  on  another  quarter  that  she  seems  chiefly 
to  have  apprehended.  That  spirit  of  worldly 
self-indulgence,  which  not  only  may  co-exist  with, 
but  which  often  grows  out  of  literary  labours. 
'  Dear  Mrs.   Thornton   has   written   me    a    loner 

o 

letter,  the  pages  crowded,  the  expressions  exceed- 
ingly friendly.  She  cautions  me  to  be  circum- 
spect, to  be  aware  of  dead  calms  that  come  over 
the  Christian  in  his  way  heaven-ward.  I  have 
only  one  weapon  to  use — Prayer.'  What  have  we 
here  but  a  verification  of  the  Proverb — "  As  an 
ear-ring  of  gold,  and  an  ornament  of  fine  gold,  so 
is  a  wise  reprover  to  an  obedient  ear."  A  tutor 
and  a  minister  receives  meekly  and  gratefully  the 
advice  of  an  aged  Christian  woman.  How  de- 
monstrative of  the  high  tone  of  religious  practice 
in  both  parties.  To  warn  Mr.  Thomason  of  snares 
in  his  path,  or  of  faults  in  his  conduct,  was  to  rise 
the  higher  in  his  estimation  and  attachment : 
he  was  not  one  of  that  class  who  are  loud  in 
their  confessions  of  depravity  and  fallibility,  and 
yet  in  point  of  fact  lay  claim  to  exemption  from 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  97 

all  actual  errors :  knowing  he  was  in  the  midst 
of  many  dangers,  he  welcomed  any  admonition 
that,  under  God,  might  contribute  to  his  security. 
'How  much  I  am  obliged  to  you,'  he  writes  in 
reply,  *  for  your  long  and  kind  letter !  It  came  at 
a  time  when  I  greatly  stood  in  need  of  something 
to  awaken  me  to  a  sense  of  the  great  importance 
of  my  situation  here,  and  of  the  diligence  with 
which  I  should  prosecute  my  work.  I  wish  to 
consider  the  ministry  as  the  primary  object  I 
should  keep  in  view,  and  the  work  of  a  tutor  as  a 
part,  a  very  important  part,  of  that  primary  object. 
If  it  were  not  for  this,  I  should  be  labouring  over 
my  lectures  as  a  shoemaker  over  his  last,  con- 
sidering it  merely  as  a  drudgery  to  which  I  am 
called :  but  by  considering  it  a  part  of  the  minis- 
terial labour,  I  not  only  go  through  it  with  plea- 
sure, but  I  endeavour  the  more  to  aim  at  the 
communication  of  what  is  truly  useful. 

There  are  reasons  for  fearing  the  '  mathematical 
religion'  which  so  prevails  here.  However,  I  do 
not  find  this  to  be  my  besetting  danger.  There 
are  other  things  connected  with  college  infinitely 
more  poisonous  than  this, — at  least  to  me.  Here 
is  every  thing  that  can  contribute  to  the  ease  and 
comfort  of  life.  Whatever  pampers  the  appetite 
and  administers  fuel  to  sloth  and  indolence  is  to 
be  found  in  abundance.  Nothing  is  left  to  want 
or  desire.      Here  is  the  danger,  this  is  the  hor- 

9 


98^  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

rible  precipice  :  when  you  think  of  me,  think 
of  this  danger,  and  fear  this  fear  above  all 
others.' 

In  the  vacation  of  this  summer,  Mr.  Thomason 
visited  the  spot  where  the  ground-work  of  his 
unexpected  prosperity  had  been  laid.  And  how 
could  the  sight  of  Chesham  fail  of  bringing  the 
past  and  the  present  into  most  affecting  contrast. 
Had  Mr.  Clark  not  been  numbered  amongst  the 
dead,  his  return  there  would  have  been  attended 
with  pleasure  unmixed.  The  scene  would  have 
resembled  the  summer  sea,  when  gently  agitated 
by  the  breeze,  it  seems  to  smile  with  its  un- 
numbered waves :  but  that  place  now  presented 
another  appearance  ;  the  surface  of  things  there 
was  dark  and  perturbed.  Memory  was  painfully 
active  at  Chesham :  Emotions  were  awakened 
within  its  borders,  which  he  must  have  lived  a 
very  short  time  in  this  world  of  woe,  or  to  very 
little  purpose,  who  cannot  comprehend.  He  thus 
gives  us  the  impression  which  local  recollections 
produced  on  his  heart.  'I  preached  at  Missen- 
den,  where  I  used  to  attend  on  Sunday  in  the 
morning.  The  common  I  crossed  and  recrossed  :  it 
is  a  sweet  spot :  but  a  gloom  pervades  the  neigh- 
bourhood. I  visited  the  rooms  where  I  have  spent 
so  many  hours  ;  the  walks  I  have  so  often  trod- 
den ;  the  woods  where  I  have  wandered  with  so 
much  pleasure.     But  every  thing  I  saw  appeared  to 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  99 

mourn  their  loss.  If  such  be  Chesham  without 
the  presence  of  Mr.  Clark,  what  would  the  uni- 
verse be  without  God — what  my  soul  without  the 
influence  of  his  spirit.  I  went  to  Amersham  to 
visit  my  old  school-fellow,  and  we  walked  to 
Chesham.  Hitherto  I  had  seen  the  place  alone : 
how  were  my  feelings  increased  when  in  com- 
pany with  one  who,  like  myself,  loved  and 
admired  Mr.  Clark,  and  who,  like  myself,  had 
not  visited  the  scene  of  his  youthful  labours  for 
several  years.  R.  and  I  always  read  together; 
we  studied  the  same  books  with  a  constancy  that 
surprises  me  when  I  look  back.  Do  you  re- 
member that  walk,  that  lane,  that  gate  ?  We  could 
only  ask  such  questions  all  the  way.  We  came 
to  my  lodgings ;  of  the  family  one  is  a  soldier, 
another  dead,  the  rest  scattered;  except  those 
too  young  to  know  their  wants  or  how  to  relieve 
them.  The  father  and  mother  could  only  tell  us 
what  we  had  seen  engraven  on  every  house  and 
tree,  that  since  our  dear  tutor  was  removed  the 
glory  of  the  place  was  gone.  We  walked  on 
through  the  fields,  to  that  spot  where  we  have  so 
often  heard  our  tutor  hold  forth  a  remedy  to  a 
wretched  world.  At  Bois  church  we  stopped  to 
meditate  on  the  past  and  to  weep.  When  we 
stood  over  the  vault  where  the  dear  ashes  were 
deposited,  we  were  almost  overpowered.  We 
looked  at  the  grass   with  which  the   place  was 


100  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

overgrown,  and  sighed.  I  ran  to  the  window 
of  the  chancel  to  see  my  old  seat,  and  returned  to 
the  grave.     At  length  we  tore  ourselves  away.' 

Reflections  such  as  these  evince  beyond  con- 
tradiction that  whatever  the  tendency  of  worldly 
happiness  to  deteriorate  the  religious  principle, 
whatever  that  of  collegiate  pursuits,  to  deaden  sen- 
sibility, neither  of  these  effects  had  followed  in 
the  case  before  us.  Here  we  have  nature  in  its 
genuine  actings,  grace  in  its  purity  and  power. 

At  the  close  of  this  year,  1798,  Mr.  Thomason 
was  admitted  to  the  oflJice  of  a  presbyter  in  the 
Church  of  England  by  Dr.  Cornwallis,  bishop 
of  Litchfield  and  Coventry.  In  his  set  work  as 
deacon  he  had  been  sanctified  in  holiness  and 
had  well  performed  that  preparatory  ofiice.  His 
Sundays  had  been  to  him  days  of  spiritual  re- 
freshment, and  for  them  he  could  bless  God.  The 
ignorance  that  prevailed  around  him  he  did  not 
witness  without  many  a  sigh  ;  nor  did  those  sighs 
resemble  the  yawnings  of  oscitancy,  they  led  to 
labour  and  to  prayer.  In  these  petitions,  his 
country,  then  threatened  from  without  and  within, 
as  well  as  the  church  and  neighborhood  in  im- 
mediate contact  with  him,  had  a  share.  Every 
Monday  morning  a  meeting  was  held  in  Cambridge 
to  entreat  God  in  behalf  of  the  nation,  endan- 
gered by  the  rejection  of  Mr.  Wilberforce's  mo- 
tion for  the  abolition  of  the  slave  trade,  by  the 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  101 

profanation  of  the  sabbath,  and  by  many  other 
grievous  sins :  amongst  these  suppUcants  Mr. 
Thomason  gladly  bent  his  knees.  *  I  am  engaged 
in  the  service  of  one  who  can  give  strength  to 
the  weak,  and  light  to  the  ignorant.  He  has 
strengthened  me,  and  I  trust  will  be  with  me  to 
the  end.'  With  prayers  for  himself  of  this  nature, 
grounded  in  humility,  and  crowned  with  merciful 
answers,  he  stretched  forth  his  hand  towards  the 
staves  of  the  ark: — more  than  ever  conscious 
of  the  height  of  the  dignity,  as  well  as  of  the 
arduousness  of  the  duty  to  which  he  had  been 
called  ;  deeply  convinced  that  '  there  was  nothing 
noble  in  a  clergyman  but  a  burning  zeal  for  the 
salvation  of  souls,  nor  anything  mean  in  him  but 
idleness  and  a  worldly  spirit:'*  in  lowliness 
acknowledging  "who  is  sufficient  for  these  things," 
yet  upheld  by  the  cheering  assurance,  "  Lo  I  am 
with  you  always,"  he  prepared  for  his  ordination. 
Aaron,  before  he  was  invested  with  the  priest- 
hood, lay  seven  days  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle 
of  the  congregation^  and  before  he  ministered  to 
the  people,  he  made  an  application  of  the  atone- 
ment to  himself.  Mr.  Thomason  was  of  a  similar 
spirit ;  nor  could  words  better  express  his  state 
of  mind, — his  contrition, — confidence,  and  conso- 
lation, than  the  hymn,  entitled  '  Aaron^  by  George 
Herbert. 

*  Law  quoted  by  Dr.  Johnson. 

9* 


102  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

This  important  ecclesiastical  step  was  followed 
by  one  of  a  domestic  character.  In  the  month 
of  January,  1799,  Mr.  Thomason  was  united  to 
Miss  Fawcet,  of  Scaleby  Castle,  a  union  con- 
ducive as  much  to  his  spiritual  as  to  his  temporal 
happiness.  In  her  he  found  an  affectionate  sharer 
in  all  his  joys  and  cares ;  a  cordial  coadjutor  in 
his  parochial  employments.  *  Vixerunt  mira  con- 
cordia  per  mutuam  caritatem  et  invicem  se  ante- 
ponendo.'  Such  was  the  tenor  of  their  lives  from 
the  altar  to  the  grave.  One  thing  I  may  men- 
tion, (to  the  honour  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomason,)' 
Mr.  Simeon  writes,  'that  in  all  the  ten  years  I 
lived  under  their  roof,  I  never  heard  on  any  occa- 
sion an  angry  word  from  either  of  them  ;  nor  ever 
saw  a  different  countenance  in  either  of  them 
towards  the  other,  or  in  either  of  them  towards 
me.'  Concerning  her  at  a  later  period,  another 
friend  who  had  good  opportunities  of  information, 
testifies, — '  She  was  ever  active,  but  never  hur- 
ried ; — her  collectedness,  self-possession,  and 
power  of  diverting  her  mind  ^om  one  set  of  cares 
to  impose  it  on  another,  were,  I  should  think, 
unparalleled.  Self  seemed  annihilated, — she  lived 
for  the  happiness  of  others;  wherever  she  went 
she  was  hailed  as 

One  richlj'  blessing  and  so  richly  blessed.' 

From  these  testimonies  we  may  pronounce  Mr. 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  103 

Thomason  'richly  blessed'  in  her  whom  he  brought 
with  him  from  the  North  to  Cambridge. 

Dr.  Buchanan's  advice  to  married  persons,  '  to 
be  tenderly  communicative  with  each  other  on 
spiritual  subjects,'  was  in  perfect  harmony  with 
the  views  and  conduct  of  this  Christian  couple. 
Every  morning  and  evening,  according  to  a  rule 
laid  down,  they  engaged  together  in  private  devo- 
tional reading ;  so  anxious  were  they,  to  use 
the  words  of  one  of  them,  '  to  improve  the  time 
they  were  to  be  together  on  earth  in  securing  a 
better  habitation  and  more  glorious  union  in 
heaven.'  That  their  household  was  ordered  upon 
Christian  principles  it  is  almost  needless  to  state  ; 
the  family  altar  was  erected  and  honoured :  the 
pupils  under  Mr.  Thomason's  care,  and  the  serv- 
ants under  his  roof,  were  assembled  around  it  as 
often  as  the  day  began  and  closed.  There  they 
heard  what  God  the  Lord  had  spoken  in  his  holy 
word — there  they  praised  him  for  their  common 
mercies,  and  prayed  to  him  under  a  sense  of  their 
common  necessities. 

It  is  the  remark  of  a  divine  in  days  departed, 
that  events  bright  and  joyous  are  followed 
frequently  by  others  of  a  lowering  aspect.  Expe- 
rienqe  sanctions  the  observation — conscience 
.  discerns  the  reasonableness  and  goodness  of  the 
appointment.  When  the  firmament  over  us  is 
serene  and  the   hours   seem  too  short  for    our 


104  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

felicity,  our  affections  are  ready  to  cleave  to  earth 
rather  than  soar  to  heaven.  Hov^^  needful  then 
that  clouds  should  cover  the  expanse,  and  that 
our  heavenly  Father  should  speak,  commanding 
us  to  hear  his  beloved  Son,  in  whom  He  is  well 
pleased.  Often  had  Mrs.  Thornton  proved  a 
monitor,  faithful  and  effectual,  to  Mr.  Thomason. 
Repeatedly  had  she  called  him — never  in  vain, 
from  the  turbid  and  uncertain  streams  of  created 
comforts  to  the  pure  and  perennial  fountain  of 
living  waters.  Her  admonitions,  delivered  in  the 
spirit  of  love,  were  received  and  acted  upon  in 
a  correspondent  temper.  But  now  from  the 
chamber  of  sickness  and  decay  she  addressed 
the  object  of  her  Christian  and  beneficent  care 
in  another  manner.  Her  illness  commenced 
shortly  after  his  marriage, — her  death,  or  rather 
translation  into  life,  quickly  followed.  These 
were  events,  eloquent  in  proclaiming  in  Mr. 
Thomason's  ears  the  poverty  and  frailty  of  human 
joys,  the  all-satisfying  and  endearing  nature  of 
those  pleasures  which  flow  from  that  throne 
whence  angels  drink  in  their  pure  and  never- 
ending  felicity.  Of  the  concluding  portion  of  the 
life  of  this  most  excellent  lady,  an  account  has 
been  drawn  up,  and  blended  as  her  name  is  Avith 
that  of  Mr.  Thomason,  pre-eminent  as  she  was ' 
as  a  servant  of  Jesus,  the  writer  of  these  pages 
gratefully  avails  himself  of  the  permission  granted 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  105 

him  of  enriching  the  memoir  of  one  whom  Mrs. 
Thornton  loved  and  befriended,  with  some  of  her 
dying  testimonies.  No  reader  it  is  hoped  will 
deem  them  irrelevant:  no  Christian  will  fail  of 
appreciating  their  exalted  spirituality. 

In  January,  1799,  the  year  and  the  month 
of  Mr.  Thomason's  accession  of  earthly  bliss, 
Mrs.  Thornton  was  removed  to  Bath  in  a  state 
of  languishing,  from  which  she  never  recovered. 
Arriving  there,  she  observed  that  *  she  had  left 
home  under  a  sentence  of  death,  but  that  she  felt 
a  sweet  composure,  being  in  her  Lord's  hands.' — 
Her  complaints  increasing,  in  the  presence  of 
some  friends  w^ho  came  to  visit  her,  she  was 
enabled  to  testify  that  '  she  had  not  followed 
cunningly  devised  fables,  but  blessed  realities, 
which  then  yielded  divine  support.  My  illness, 
said  she,  has  been  a  pleasant  time.  I  am  thankful 
that  I  am  not  to  live  here  always.  I  look  forward 
with  joy  to  the  world  to  come.  I  have  thought 
much  of,  and  have  felt  great  nearness  to,  my 
friends  who  have  already  gained  the  port.  It 
often  seems  as  if  a  group  of  them  were  ready  to 
receive  me.  Blessed  be  God,  I  can  readily  leave 
all  my  dear  friends  and  relatives,  if  he  call  me. 
My  children  I  dearly  love,  but  I  am  willing  to 
leave  them.  I  hope  they  will  follow  me  to 
heaven.  I  have  endeavoured  to  recommend  the 
best  things,  and  can  only  lament  that  I  have  not 


106  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

set  them  a  better  example.  But  if  any  infirmity 
or  sin  they  have  seen  in  me  have  proved  a  hin- 
derance  to  them,  I  pray  God  to  take  the  remem- 
brance of  it  from  their  mind,  and  enable  them 
to  look  to  the  perfect  pattern.' — A  few  days  after, 
breaking  out  in  the  words  of  Isaiah,  "  Comfort 
ye,  comfort  ye,  my  people,  saith  your  God,  speak 
ye  comfortably  to  •  Jerusalem,"  (Isaiah  xl.  1.) 
she  proceeded  in  this  strain,  '  What  condescension 
in  God,  thus  to  address  his  creatures  !  The  Bible 
is  the  best  book.  It  is  the  truth.  Lately  I  have 
read  little  else ;  and  should  I  live,  it  shall  be  my 
one  book.  It  contains  every  thing.  I  feel  my 
weakness,  and  it  calls  upon  me  to  trust  in  the 
Lord  Jehovah,  for  in  him  is  everlasting  strength. 
I  do  not  know  what  our  Lord  is  about  to  do  with 
me.  I  grow  weaker  ;  if  he  takes  me  home,  it 
will  be  from  the  evil  to  come.  If  he  should  spare 
me,  I  trust  it  will  be  to  bring  me  to  a  nearer 
acquaintance  with  himself.' — Having  desired  a 
friend  to  read  Isaiah  xxvith,  and  pray  with  her : 
*  It  seemed,'  said  she,  '  like  worshipping  before  the 
throne.  How  near  is  earth  to  heaven  V  One  of 
her  daughters,  who  was  nursing  her,  received 
from  her  lips  this  deeply  touching  address,  'You 
have  nursed  me  affectionately,  and  now  you  are 
called  to  an  affecting  scene,  a  dying  mother 
parting  with  a  child  she  dearly  loves.  After  I 
am  gone,  and  you  retire  in  secret  to  weep,  per- 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  107 

haps  your  mother  may  be  looking  on.     I  charge 
you,  and  your  dear  sisters,  let  not  a  thought  enter 
your  minds,   that  you  have  neglected   any  thing 
that  could  have  been  done  for  me.     You  have  all 
been  kind,  I  have  had  every  attention  shown  that 
could  have  been  given.     The  liOrd  bless  you  all ! 
I  hope  you  will  always  love  each  other.     Do  not 
expect  too  much  from  each  other,  then  you  will 
live   in   love;'    and   after   a   short    silence,    'the 
mystery  of  the    cross  contains  our  all  of  good. 
Our  Redeemer,  our  great  Deliverer,  is  our  Surety 
and  our  Peace.     He  hath  broken  down  the  par- 
tition-wall.    /  have  no  hope,  no  plea,  hut,  Lord, 
thou  hast  died;''    and   to   her  daughter,    '  Oh  M. 
he  must   be  your  salvation :    expect   only  to   be 
saved   through   him  ! '      Her    husband,    who   had 
hastened  to  her  from  a  distance,  in  the  midst  of 
his  sorrow  was  welcomed  and  cheered  with  this 
triumphant  assurance, 

'  Not  a  doubt  doth  arise  to  darken  my  skies, 
Or  hide  for  a  moment  ray  God  from  my  eyes.' 

All  her  daughters,  collected  around  her,  had 
the  high  privilege  of  hearing  their  mother  thus 
address  them  :  '  Faith  apprehends  realities.  Faith 
opens  the  w^orld  to  come.  This  life  is  but  the 
beginning  of  our  existence.  When  we  begin  to 
live  here,  we  begin  to  die  ;  and  when  we  die  (in 
the  faith)  we  enter  into  a  full  enjoyment  of  the 


108  ME3I0IR    OF    THE 

blessed  realities  which  faith  now  apprehends.  Oh 
may  the  Holy  Spirit  impress  these  truths  upon 
your  hearts,  my  dear  children  !  Without  his  influ- 
ence, all  is  nothing.'  Then,  leaning  her  head  back, 
she  said,  'Lord!  now  take  me  to  thyself.  Let 
me  depart  in  peace  according  to  thy  word,  for 
mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation.  Lord  Jesus 
receive  my  spirit.'  Again  they  listened  to  these 
animating  words.  '  God  has  been  better  to  me 
than  my  fears.  You  little  expected  to  see  your 
dying  mother  with  so  little  fear.  I  have  had 
many  fears,  (alluding  to  a  complaint  which  threat- 
ened her  with  painful  consequences  for  many 
years,)  but  my  Lord  has  been  good  to  me.  My 
fears  drove  me  to  prayer;  and  what  pain  I  did 
feel,  has  often  drawn  me  nearer  to  my  God.  Dr. 
L.  brought  me  good  news  when  he  told  me  I  was 
going  home  to  ray  God.  Lord,  suffer  me  not  to  be 
impatient ;  thy  time  is  best,  thy  will  be  done  ! ' 
When  informed  that  Mrs.  F.  had  sent  her  kind 
sympathizing  love,  she  was  a  while  silent ;  and 
then  said,  *  Did  Mrs.  F.  send  a  message  to  me  ? ' 
On  being  answered  '  Yes,'  she  said,  '  I  love  her : 
the  very  hearing  of  her  name  revives  me.  We 
know  little  of  the  value  of  love  here,  to  what  we 
shall  in  eternity.'  To  a  young  friend  who  visited 
her,  she  uttered  this  humble,  solemn,  awakening 
exhortation,  "  You  see  me  weak  in  body,  but  my 
mind  is  vigorous.     Though  I  do  not  think  any 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  109 

thing  I  am  able  to  say  can  have  much  vs^eight 
as  coming  from  me,  yet  I  wished  to  see  you. 
Yours  is  a  singular  family.  God  has  given  great 
talents  to  you  all,  and  it  is  true  wisdom  to  know 
the  part  we  are  called  to  act,  and  to  fulfil  it.  We 
are  little  aware  of  the  loss  we  shall  sustain  if  we 
do  not  properly  fill  up  the  place  for  which  we  are 
fitted.  I  have  had  awful  views  of  this,  such  views 
as  have  influenced  my  intentions.  I  have  aimed 
at  using  what  was  committed  to  me,  to  the  glory 
of  God  :  and  though  I  have  fallen  far  short  of  my 
aim,  yet  I  am  now  thankful  that  my  endeavours 
were  directed  to  what,  at  this  important  moment, 
my  mind  fully  approves.  I  am  a  weak  helpless 
creature,  and  do  not  speak  because  I  have  filled 
my  place,  or  done  the  work  assigned  me.  No, 
I  have  only  aimed  at  it.  I  speak  because  of  the 
sluggishness  of  my  nature,  and  because  I  wish  every 
one  had  a  proper  sense  of  the  increasing  enjoy- 
ment they  may  gain  by  a  right  use  of  their  time 
and  talents.  The  necessity  of  this  appears  from 
the  apostle's  words.  Press  towards  the  mark ; 
covet  earnestly  the  best  gifts:  and  from  our 
Lord's  account  of  the  ten  virgins.  They  were  all 
intrusted  with  talents,  all  had  light,  and  all  had 
gifts,  but  five  were  wise  and  five  were  foolish. 
The  former  improved,  the  latter  neglected  their 
talents.  You  are  engaged  in  a  good  work,  may 
you  go  on  and  prosper.  If  he  that  giveth  a  cup 
10 


no  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

of  cold  water  shall  not  lose  his  reward,  the  service 
of  those  who  seek  the  spiritual  good  of  their 
fellow  creatures  shall  surely  be  remembered. 
God  is  faithful :  I  am  a  poor  worm,  but  I  have 
found  him  so  beyond  what  I  have  hoped.  Often 
in  my  chamber  have  I  prayed, 

'When  pain  o'er  my  weak  flesh  prevails, 
With  saint-hke  patience  arm  my  breast ; 
When  wounding  grief  my  soul  assails, 
In  lowly  weakness  may  I  rest.' 

'I  have  had  a  strong  assurance  that  it  would 
be  so ;  insomuch  that  I  have  often  returned  to 
my  knees  to  thank  God  for  what  I  believed  he 
would  do.  1  have  often  poured  forth  my  soul 
in  prayer  respecting  the  hour  which  now  draws 
near.  I  had  reason  to  believe  he  would  be  with 
me  ;  and  now  he  is  answering  my  faith.  Does  it 
not  amount  to  a  certainty?  Spiritual  things  are 
realities.  Faith  produces  effects.  God  is  faithful 
to  his  word.'  Then  turning  to  her  children,  she 
said,  '  My  dear  children,  let  no  one  cheat  you 
out  of  immortality.' 

Of  one  who  in  his  early  days  used  to  leave  all 
the  comforts  of  life  to  go  to  seek  lost  sinners, 
she  remarked,  '  If  we  leave  our  comfortable 
homes,  warm  fire-sides,  and  go  to  seek  souls, 
or  to  hear  the  word  of  God,  it  will  hear  reflecting 
on  in  such  an  hour  as  this  I  am  passing  through.* 
Near  midnight  she  was  in  great  pain,  and  prayed 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  Ill 

most  fervently  that  our  Lord  would  take  her  to 
himself.  Complaining  of  the  room  being  dark, 
and  being  told  that  there  were  candles  in  it,  and 
that  it  was  owing  to  her  illness  that  she  did 
not  see  the  light,  '  I  am  glad  you  tell  me  so,' 
said  she  ;  '  I  hope  it  is  a  proof  that  I  am  not  far 
from  my  heavenly  inheritance.  I  hope,  if  one 
of  my  natural  senses  is  closed,  it  is  a  prelude 
to  my  spiritual  senses  being  more  fully  opened ; 
perhaps  it  may  be  soon. '  Her  desire  was  fulfilled 
not  long  after  this.  With  the  w^ords  of  the  Lord's 
prayer  on  her  lips  and  in  her  heart,  she  slept 
in  Jesus,  and  made  one  of  the  countless  company 
in  heaven.  In  her  natural  as  well  as  spiritual 
character  there  was  something  extraordinary.  Re- 
markable also  were  the  means  of  her  conversion. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen  she  received  her  first  abiding 
religious  impressions  from  attending  the  daily  pray- 
ers at  Westminster  Abbey.  Her  heavenly  Father 
employed  the  solemn  words  of  our  excellent  church 
service  enriched  with  '  the  pealing  organ  and  full- 
voiced  choir,'  to  awaken  her  to^  serious  inquiry 
after  salvation.  She  is  described  as  having  pos- 
sessed a  good  understanding,  a  strong  memory, 
and  a  vigorous  mind,  much  improved  by  reading 
and  reflection.  She  is  also  said  to  have  had  a  pecu- 
liar talent  of  raising  the  tone  of  conversation,  of 
checking  levity,  of  drawing  out  the  powers 
of  strong  minds,  and  raising  those  of  the  weak, 


112  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

and  to  have  manifested  a  striking  elevation  and 
dignity,  combined  with  simpUcity,  in  her  manner 
and  language.  She  lived,  it  is  truly  added,  as 
becometh  a  saint,  aiming  to  regulate  her  temper 
and  conduct  by  the  precepts  and  examples  of  her 
Lord ;  and  she  died  as  becometh  a  Christian, 
renouncing  her  own  righteousness,  and  simply  re- 
lying upon  Him  who  was  made  sin  for  us,  though 
he  "knew  no  sin,  that  we  might  be  made  the 
righteousness  of  God  in  him." 

*  What  a  friend  have  I  lost ! '  was  the  mournful 
reflection  of  Mr.  Thomason.  '  Not  a  day  passes 
but  I  think  of  her  with  grateful  recollection,  and 
of  the  mercies  I  have  received  through  her.  My 
earnest  prayer  is,  that  I  may  be  directed  in  that 
way  in  which  she  was  so  anxious  I  should  be 
found.' 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON 


113 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  Spring  of  the  year  1800  opened  upon  Mr. 
Thomason  with  an  accumulation  of  joys  and  com- 
forts. He  was  united  to  a  woman  of  singular 
sweetness  and  piety ;  was  acquainted  for  the  first 
time,  with  the  new  and  thrilling  delight  of  a 
parent ;  was  admitted  to  the  highest  order  in  the 
ministry,  to  which  he  looked  forward ;  was  settled 
in.  a  pleasant  village,  the  simple-minded  inhabi- 
tants of  which  were  attached  to  him  personally  and 
for  his  work's  sake  :  to  crown  all,  he  had  for  a  very 
frequent  inmate  Mr.  Simeon,  endeared  to  him 
more  and  more  by  kindnesses  without  end  and 
of  every  degree,  by  those  substantial  acts,  for  the 
occasions  of  which  love  is  wont  to  w-ait  with  a 
look  of  vigilance  and  delicacy  of  tact  peculiar  to 
itself,  by  those  also  which  constitute  the  daily 
and  ordinary  currency  of  familiar  intercourse. 
Nor  was  this  all ; — for  in  Mr.  Simeon  he  had  before 
him  a  living  example  of  an  elevated  description, 
ever  seeming  to  suggest  this  is  not  your  rest,  you 
are  not  come  to  the  land  of  which  the  Lord  God 
has  said,  "  He  w^ill  give  it  you." 
10* 


114  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

'  Do  you  remember  a  very  pleasant  spot,  where 
there  are  two  bridges,  and  you  have  a  sweet  view 
on  both  sides  ?  Close  to  that  spot  is  our  mansion  ; 
the  walks  extend  down  to  the  river.  A  more 
beautiful  place  I  never  saw :  it  is  the  garden  of 
Cambridgeshire.  When  I  look  around  me,  it  seems 
a  dream :  I  can  scarcely  persuade  myself  it  belongs 
to  me.  If  you  think  of  me  between  the  hours  of 
twelve  and  two,  you  may  imagine  me  walking  in 
the  shrubbery  with  my  little  Hebrew  Bible  in  my 
hand.  Should  the  sun  be  very  hot,  depend  upon 
it,  I  have  taken  my  seat  under  the  shade  of  a 
thick  chesnut ;  there  I  endeavour  to  collect  my 
thoughts,  and  stir  myself  up  to  diligent  improve- 
ment and  application  of  the  word  of  God.  But, 
alas  !  I  find  it  easier  to  admire  the  landscape 
around  me,  than  to  raise  my  heart  to  Him  who 
made  it ;  easier  to  thank  him  for  the  walks  and 
gardens,  than  to  besiege  a  throne  of  grace  for 
spiritual  blessings :  yet  these  are  what  I  earnestly 
long  for,  and  without  which  my  soul  cannot  be 
satisfied.  Mr.  Simeon  has  a  room  on  the  ground 
floor,  which  opens  into  a  delightful  pleasure  gar- 
den, surrounded  by  a  wall,  where  he  can  walk 
privately,  in  which  he  so  much  delights.  One 
door  of  his  room  opens  into  my  study,  so  that  we 
are  as  near  each  other  as  possible.  His  friendship 
I  must  name  amongst  my  chief  blessings  :  he  is 
more  and  more  dear  to  us,  as  indeed  he  ought  to 


REV.    THOMAS   THOMASON.  115 

be;  his  kindness  to  us  is  wonderful.  It  quite 
overpowers  me  when  I  think  of  it.  I  hope  we 
shall  provoke  one  another  more  and  more  to  abound 
in  the  work  of  the  Lord.  O  how  short  is  the  time  ! 
I  am  sure  there  is  no  time  for  idleness :  would  to 
God  that  the  preciousness  of  each  passing  hour 
might  be  more  deeply  impressed  upon  my  mind. 

'  It  has  pleased  God  to  send  us  pious  servants  ; 
indeed  our  domestic  comforts  are  invaluable  ;  our 
seasons  of  family  prayer  are  seasons  of  refresh- 
ment. I  have  found  my  own  mind  stirred  up  to 
make  them  as  profitable  as  possible.' 

Who  can  read  these  accounts,  the  overflowings 
of  a  son's  heart  into  a  mother's  bosom,  without 
confessing  that  it  would  have  been  difficult  to 
point  out  any  spot  where  more  real  bliss,  earthly 
and  heavenly,  was  concentred  than  at  Shelford. 
Could  the  walls  of  that  house  speak,  and  were 
the  trees  in  those  grounds  vocal,  they  could  tell  of 
many  hymns  sung,  of  many  prayers  poured  forth, 
of  much  divine  meditation  and  discourse,  con- 
cerning the  things  pertaining  to  the  kingdom  of 
God.  Who  remembers  not  the  heavenly  con- 
versation between  St.  Augustine  and  Monica, 
just  before  her  admission  to  glory  ?  Communica- 
tions of  this  sublime  and  spiritual  nature,  passed 
often  within  that  favoured  enclosure. 

In  addition  to  these  various  enjoyments,  Mr. 
Thomason  possessed  at  this  moment  the  gratifi- 


116  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

cation  of  having  a  new  and  most  valuable  fellow- 
labourer  in  the  ministry  at  Cambridge.  The  Rev. 
Mr.  Sowerby,  who  had  reached  the  extreme  sum- 
mit of  mathematical  merit,  and  who  afterwards 
sustained  the  office  of  moderator  with  singular 
satisfaction  to  the  students,  and  no  small  credit 
to  himself,  became  at  this  time  an  assistant  to 
Mr.  Simeon  in  Trinity  Church.  Once  he  had 
beheld  that  church  through  a  fallacious  medium. 
A  prediction  that  he  himself  would  one  day  officiate 
there  would  have  been  deemed  by  him  an  absurd- 
ity so  improbable  as  to  be  ludicrous — so  offensive 
as  to  be  almost  an  insult. 

On  one  occasion  he  did  venture  within  its 
walls,  and  returning  with  a  conscience  in  some 
degree  roused,  and  with  a  mind  at  once  reflecting 
and  resisting,  he  met  providentially  with  a  friend, 
who  with  combined  ability,  discretion,  affection, 
and  eventual  success,  combated  his  objections. 
*He  called  upon  me  one  Sunday  evening,'  this 
friend  relates,  '  a  few  weeks  before  his  degree, 
and  began  to  tell  me  of  a  sermon  which  he  had 
heard  at  Mr.  Simeon's,  where  he  had  gone  chiefly 
from  curiosity.  I  assured  him  that  he  had  mis- 
understood Mr.  Simeon — that  his  report  was  alto- 
gether incorrect — that  it  arose  from  his  never 
having  considered  the  subject  at  all.  This  led  to 
a  long  discussion,  during  which  he  became  very 
calm  and  serious,  and  much  interested ;  we  went 


REV.    TH03IAS    THOMASON.  117 

down  to  supper  in  the  hall  continuing  our  conver- 
sation, but  so  much  were  we  engaged  in  it,  we 
stopped  in  the  court,  (I  could  point  out  the 
very  place,)  and  were  so  deep  in  discussion  that 
we  lost  our  suppers ;  the  result  was,  that  I  under- 
took to  produce  a  series  of  scriptural  passages 
which  should  show  what  Mr.  Simeon  did  mean, 
and  lohich  woidd  prove  that  he  ivas  right.  In  two 
or  three  days  I  did  so,  and  in  two  or  three  days 
more  he  told  me  he  had  been  much  struck  by 
our  conversation,  and  by  the  passages  which  I 
had  put  into  his  hand  ;  that  this  was  a  subject 
which  demanded  thoughtful  inquiry ;  that  he  had 
not  then  leisure,  as  degree  time  w^as  just  upon 
him,  but  that  he  would  examine  the  scriptures 
carefully  after  his  degree.  He  went  into  Cum- 
berland in  the  summer,  and  at  length  came  a 
letter  telling  me  that  he  saw  his  error,  and  that 
the  doctrine  of  Mr.  Simeon  was  the  truth  of  God's 
word.' 

Short  was  that  course  on  which  Mr.  Sowerby, 
in  conjunction  with  Mr.  Thomason,  now  entered. 
The  hidden  and  inextinguishable  sparks  of  con- 
sumption were  burning  within ;  and  that  disease, 
after  no  very  long  delay,  manifested  itself,  proving 
to  be  an  angel  charged  to  introduce  the  Christian 
sufferer  to  a  state  of  being  for  which  his  meetness 
was  most  clear :  for  who  loved  more  unfeignedly 
than  he  ? — who  whilst  he  was  able,  preached  more 


118  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

faithfully  those  truths  which  tend  to  *  humble  the 
sinner,  to  exalt  the  Saviour,  and  to  promote  holi- 
ness?'* So  soon  did  Mr.  Sowerby  sink,  that 
when  Mr.  Thomason  was  hastening  to  his  final 
destination,  that  friend  who  had  been  instrumental 
in  leading  him  into  the  way  of  peace  witnessed 
the  proof  of  that  peace  on  the  bed  of  languishing, 
and  in  a  dying  hour,  and  found  that  indeed  it 
passed  all  understanding.  '  Throughout  the  whole 
of  his  illness,'  he  states  'his  Christian  patience  and 
Christian  fortitude  were  very  conspicuous :  not  a 
complaint  escaped  him  ;  and  when  a  concern  was 
expressed  at  the  length  and  severity  of  his  suffer- 
ings, he .  replied  by  observing  that  he  ought  rather 
to  be  thankful  as  he  had  been  favoured  with  time 
for  reviewing  his  past  life,  and  had  derived  benefit 
from  affliction.  His  strength  was  so  much  ex- 
hausted, he  seldom  spake  except  in  monosyllables  ; 
but  the  little  he  could  articulate  shewed  how  well 
he  was  prepared  for  his  approaching  change.  So 
long  as  he  was  able  to  read,  the  Bible  was  almost 
constantly  in  his  hand,  and  he  frequently  appeared 
to  be  engaged  in  prayer.  The  fourteenth  and 
seventeenth  chapters  of  St.  John  were  peculiarly 
pleasing  to  him.       On  the   night  preceding  his 

*  See  Mr.  Simeon's  admirable  preface  to  his  *  Helps  to 
Composition,'  in  which,  with  a  firm  hand  and  an  enlightened 
eye,  he  holds  the  balances  of  the  sanctuary  between  the  Calvinist 
and  the  Arminian. 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  119 

death  he  was  almost  perpetually  employed  in 
devotion.  In  the  morning  he  hastily  caught  the 
hand  of  an  attendant  who  was  standing  by  his  bed, 
and  smiling,  pointed  to  a  chair,  adding  the  word 
*  down,' — in  an  instant  the  awful  change  began  to 
take  place,  and,  without  a  sigh  or  a  groan,  he 
breathed  his  last.' 

Mr.  Thomasons  clerical  salary,  liberal  as  it 
was  in  itself,  was  slender  relatively, — he  had 
of  course  lost  his  fellowship,  and  the  principal 
part  of  his  wife's  dowry  were  her  numerous  ex- 
cellences. An  attempt  therefore  to  prosecute  his 
ministerial  labours,  without  continuing  those  of  a 
tutor,  seemed  scarcely  practicable.  Other  reasons 
also  besides  those  of  prudence  were  in  action  ; 
and  if  St  Paul  were  to  be  admired  w^hilst  occupied 
in  making  tents,  that  he  might  not  be  burden- 
some to  the  Corinthians,  similar  motives  will 
render  Mr.  Thomason  worthy  of  admiration  when 
engaged  in  the  w^ork  of  education.  '  To-morrow 
we  sit  down  to  our  school-work.  I  feel  a  sort 
of  tremor  over  me,  looking  forward  to  the  labors 
of  the  half-year.'  Thus  he  writes ; — and  in  en- 
countering this  toil,  his  generous  spirit  had  other 
views  beyond  those  of  mere  maintenance.  Re- 
membering what  a  sum  had  been  expended  upon 
himself — calling  to  mind  the  wants  of  young  men 
involved  in  those  anxious  exigencies  which  he 
had  experienced — he  resolved  to  repay  the  whole 


120  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

of  what  had  been  advanced  for  his  support ;  and 
long  before  he  left  England  these  noble  resolutions 
were  fulfilled  to  the  very  utmost.  Having  saved 
above  four  hundred  pounds,  not  to  exonerate  him- 
self from  the  burden  of  an  obligation,  but  to  enjoy 
the  luxury  of  performing  what  is  lovely  and  of 
good  report,  he  replaced  the  money  in  the  hands 
of  the  managers  of  the  Elland  Institution,  with 
a  willing  consciousness  that  a  debt  still  remained 
that  could  not  be  cancelled. 

The  principles  on  which  Mr.  Thomason  en- 
gaged in  the  toils  of  tutorship  have  been  deve- 
loped ;  a  real  Christian  himself,  he  was  a  Christian 
instructor.  The  system  pursued  in  many  instances, 
by  preceptors  calling  themselves  Christians,  is 
the  purest  paganism.  His  plan  was  conducted 
with  an  honest  sense  of  what  was  due  to  the 
parent  who  placed  a  child  under  his  care,  with 
a  still  more  serious  conviction  of  his  responsibility 
to  God.  Concerning  one  of  his  pupils  he  thus 
expresses  himself—'  He  is  one  out  of  twelve  pre- 
cious souls  committed  to  my  charge.  I  sink  under 
my  work,  and  feel  as  if  the  task  of  forming  the 
tender  mind  to  principles  of  religion  were  an 
Herculean  labour  too  mighty  for  so  feeble  an  arm 
as  mine.  But  I  am  endeavouring  to  look  upward 
for  them  and  for  myself,  and  pray  that  the  Lord 
would  pardon  what  has  been  amiss  and  strengthen 
my  extreme  weakness.' 


REV.    TH03IAS    THOMASON.  121 

Notwithstanding  his  labours  in  the  pupil-room, 
hi  s  frequent  visits  to  the  sick-chamber,  his  public 
lectures  weekly  to  the  people  at  large,  and  those 
free  and  familiar  ones  which  he  was  in  the  habit 
of  giving  to  the  children,  Mr.  Thomason  found 
time  to  write  again  for  the  Norrisian  prizes,  during 
the  first  two  years  of  his  residence  at  Shelford. 
His  first  essay  was  to  shew  Uhat  the  Christian 
religion  bus  in  its  effects  been  favourable  to 
human  happiness," — his  second  was  to  prove  '  that 
the  differences  of  opinion  amongst  Christians 
was  no  proof  against  Christianity :'  both  were 
successful. 

That  ministerial  employment  was  Mr.  Thoma- 
son's  primary  concern, — that  he  possessed  a 
pastor's  heart,  no  one  can  better  testify  than 
Mr.  Simeon,  who,  concerning  the  fervent  love 
and  persevering  energy  of  his  fellow-worker,  bears 
this  striking  testimony  :  his  words  are — '  The 
parishes  in  which  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomason  were 
able  to  exert  their  mfiuence  seemed  as  their  own 
family, — schools  of  industry,  as  well  as  other 
schools,  were  established  by  them — the  poor  and 
the  sick  were  visited  and  relieved — all  that 
Christian  love  could  plan  and  devise  was  planned 
and  executed  with  the  tenderest  assiduity  and 
most  unwearied  constancy.  If  I  were  to  fix  on 
one  thing  more  than  another,  where  Mr.  Thoma- 
son was  at  home,  it  was  in  his  Sunday  evening 
11 


3!: 


122 


MEMOIR    OP   THE 


and  Tuesday  evening  lectures  in  his  school-room. 
There  the  poor  were  permitted  to  come,  and  he 
was  a  father  amongst  his  children,  or  a  pastor 
amongst  his  flock.  In  his  addresses  there  was 
an  unrivalled  simplicity  and  divine  unction,  which 
left  a  savour  that  is  not  forgotten  to  this  hour. 
The  name  of  Thomason  in  Shelford  and  Staple- 
ford  is  remembered  like  that  of  Swartz  in  Tanjore 
and  Trichenopoly,  and  I  doubt  not  but  to  all 
eternity  many  will  have  reason  to  bless  God  for 
his  affectionate  ministrations.' 

Though  Mr.  Thomason's  field  of  exertion  lay 
principally  in  Shelford,  and  in  another  village  at 
no  great  distance,  he  was  still  in  the  habit  of 
preaching  often  in  Trinity  Church,  Cambridge. 
The  congregation  there  every  year  was  increased 
by  an  accession  of  young  men,  who  in  defiance  of 
frowns  on  the  one  hand,  and  of  ridicule  on  the 
other,  persisted  in  their  attendance,  where  they 
first  perhaps  perceived  the  clear  radiance  of  truth, 
or  were  taught  at  least  to  walk  in  its  light. 
There  in  the  year  1802  ministerial  vigilance  was 
eminently  needed,  and  was  eminently  exhibited. 
To  beguile  any  who  might  be  unstable,  an  An- 
tinomian  preacher  came  to  Cambridge,  and 
spread  his  net.  In  vain  however  was  that  net 
spread.  The  ministers  appointed  to  watch  over 
those  upon  whom  the  attempt  was  made,  held 
that  heresy    in    the    most    intense    abomination, 


REV.    THOMA.S    THOMASON.  123 

and  they  well  understood  how  to  contend  against 
it,  'If  a  libertine  preach  free  grace,'  says 
Baxter,  *  do  you  preach  it  up  more  effectually 
than  he, — be  much  upon  it,  and  make  it  more 
glorious  on  right  grounds  than  he  can  do  on  his 
wrong.' 

Thus  was  error,  in  this  instance,  opposed  and 
vanquished :  the  perverter  of  truth,  found  none, 
or  scarcely  any  whom  he  could  pervert  in  that 
flock  over  which  Mr.  Simeon,  Mr.  Martyn,  and 
Mr.  Thomason,  were  jealous  with  a  godly  jeal- 
ousy, lest  any  should  be  corrupted  from  the 
simplicity  that  is  in  Christ  :  he  soon  therefore 
departed  to  some  other  spot,  where  the  shep- 
herds, being  less  faithful  or  less  wise,  the  wolf 
with  the  wool  around  him  might  gain  admission 
to  the  fold. 

Meetings  of  Christians,  for  the  purposes  of 
mutual  encouragement  and  information,  are  ob- 
viously so  excellent,  that  they  have  been  recom- 
mended by  some  who  my  be  supposed  to  verge 
to  the  extreme  of  caution.  '  I  see  no  reason,' 
says  Mr.  Nelson,  in  his  preface  to  the  Festivals 
and  Fasts  of  the  Church  of  England,  *  Why  men 
may  not  meet  and  consult  together  to  improve 
one  another  in  Christian  knowledge,  and  by 
mutual  advice  take  measures  how  best  to  further 
their  own  salvation,  as  well  as  promote  that  of 
their  neighbours,  when  the  same  liberty  is  taken 


124  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

for  the  improvement  of  trade,  and  for  carrying  on 
the  pleasures  and  diversions  of  life.' 

The  blessed  results  of  social  prayer — and  perusal 
of  the  word  of  God — of  intercommunity  of  senti- 
ment amongst  those  who  have  the  same  sacred 
and  most  awful  charge — the  benefits  of  discussing 
difficulties  of  interpretation  and  conduct — of  com- 
municating common  fears  and  hopes — infirmi- 
ties and  temptations  —  comforts  and  supports 
— to  be  understood  fully  must  be  experienced. 
Yet  there  is  something,  one  should  think,  upon 
the  very  surface  of  such  a  design,  sufficient  to 
secure  it  from  the  suspicion  of  an  empty  assump- 
tion of  authority  or  of  contemptuous  pretences  to 
sanctity.  The  practice  commends  itself  at  once 
as  congenial  to  the  genius  of  the  church  of  Eng- 
land, and  to  the  general  spirit  of  Christianity.  But 
the  more  primitive,  unexceptionable,  and  spiii- 
tually  beneficial  any  proceeding  may  be,  the 
more  surely  does  it  give  rise  to  marked  opposition 
or  unkind  insinuation,  from  that  class  who  are  full 
of  incessant  alarms  lest  false  fire  should  inflame 
the  zeal  of  others,  but  are  seldom  apprehensive 
lest  the  frost  should  get  into  their  own  charity. 

At  these  clerical  meetings  Mr.  Thomason  be- 
came a  regular  attendant  with  increasing  interest 
and  profit.  One  of  the  first  at  which  he  was 
present,  was  to  him  more  than  commonly  grati- 
fying :  as  the  clergy  assembled  under  the  roof  of  his 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  125 

old  and  beloved  college  friend,  Mr.  Jerram. 
Having  tasted  the  pleasures  of  this  intercourse, 
he  was  not  long  in  opening  his  own  house  for  the 
reception  of  his  brethren ;  many  of  whom  came 
from  a  great  distance,  deeming  their  trouble 
repaid  amply  by  this  conference  of  minds,  this 
communion  of  hearts.  '  One  of  my  most  pleasing 
recollections  of  him,'  Dr.  Steinkopff  writes,  '  is  my 
meeting  him  about  twenty-five  years  ago,  when 
he  was  curate  of  Shelford.  At  his  house  a  clerical 
meeting  was  held  once  a  year,  which  was  at- 
tended by  about  fifteen  or  twenty  clergymen. 
Being  privileged  to  be  one  of  the  occasional 
visitors,  I  cannot  describe  the  benefit,  instruction, 
and  happiness  which  I  enjoyed.  It  was .  the 
delight  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomason  to  receive  their 
Christian  friends,  and  a  spirit  of  devotion,  peace- 
ful serenity,  and  Christian  cheerfulness  prevailed 
in  their  hospitable  mansion,  which  has  left  an 
indelible  impression  on  my  mind.' 

It  is  observable  that  one  of  the  heaviest  afflic- 
tions that  ever  descended  upon  Jacob,  came  upon 
him  after  he  had  reformed  the  disorder  of  his 
household  at  Bethel,  when  his  tent  was  pitched 
beyond  the  tower  of  Edar.  Some  sorrows  are  to 
correct  the  offences,  others  to  invigorate  the 
graces  of  the  children  of  God.  Under  this  latter 
aspect,  it  ought  not  to  seem  strange  that  Mr 
Thomason,  for  the  first  three  years  of  his  abode 
II* 


126  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

at  Shelford,  was  exercised  with  severe  domestic 
trials.  '  Three  successive  springs,'  he  writes  in 
Feb.  1803,  '  God  has  visited  us  with  the  rod  ; 
surely  these  afflictions  spring  not  out  of  the  dust : 
may  they  be  sanctified  to  us  both!  O  that  we 
may  become  more  alive  to  God  !'  One  of  these 
dispensations  was  the  death  of  an  infant  son,  of 
which  he  thus  pathetically  and  piously  speaks. — 
'  Our  dearest  child  was  buried  in  the  church-yard 
near  the  house.  The  mother  can  see  the  endeared 
spot  from  the  little  window  in  the  parlour  as  she 
sits  at  work.  There  its  remains  are  deposited. 
Who  can  tell  the  agony  of  separation  but  those  who 
have  felt  it.  Well,  it  is  now  past,  and  we  can 
adore  the  hand,  I  hope,  that  strikes  our  comforts 
dead.'  These  visitations  were  of  a  quickening 
nature,  as  in  a  peculiar  sense  were  some  others 
which,  in  the  midst  of  his  earthly  joys,  cried 
loudly  in  his  ears,  "  All  flesh  is  grass,  and  all  the 
goodliness  thereof  as  the  flower  of  the  field."  Of 
this  number  were  the  early  removal  of  two  sons 
of  Mr.  Hey,  of  Leeds,  one  of  whom  had  been 
curate  to  Mr.  Simeon,  and  the  decease  of  his 
father-in-law :  but  these  were  Christian  deaths ; 
declaring  most  intelligibly,  "  the  word  of  our  God 
endui-eth  for  ever." 

Nothing,  till  the  year  1805,  occurred  to  disturb 
the  peaceful  uniformity  of  Mr.  Thomason's  days, 
during  the  whole  of  which  he  may  be  described 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  127 

as  being  at  the  palm  trees  and  wells  of  Elim. 
With  the  exception  of  the  trials  that  have  been 
mentioned,  his  happiness  was  unusually  great : 
so  much  so  that  he  suspected  it  had  in  some 
measure  encroached  upon  the  temper  befitting  a 
pilgrim  and  stranger.  Often  whilst  walking  in 
the  grounds  that  so  charmed  him  at  Shelford,  did 
he  think  of  those  who  were  enduring  hardness 
for  Christ,  preaching  his  name  amidst  privations 
and  perils ;  and  he  would  accuse  himself  of  a  dis- 
position to  softness  and  self-indulgence.  There 
were  two  proximate  causes  of  a  revival  of  that 
missionary  spirit  in  Mr.  Thomason,  which  had 
nearly  carried  him  out  of  England  before  he  took 
his  degree.  One  of  these  was  a  review  he  under- 
took, in  the  Christian  Observer,  of  Nott's  Bampton 
Lectures,  which  necessarily  led  to  a  close  consi- 
deration of  Wesley's  and  Whitfield's  devotedness 
in  their  Saviour's  service  ; — for  after  every  abate- 
ment which  candour  must  concede  or  prejudice 
may  demand,  their  determination  of  soul  in  the 
highest  cause  was  entire  and  amazing:  the  other 
was  the  intended  departure  of  Henry  Martyn 
from  his  native  land,  to  preach  the  gospel  to 
those  wretched  men  who  had  never  heard  the 
joyful  sound. 

The  previous  year  Mr.  Thomason  had  enrolled 
himself  a  member  in  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible   Society,  then   beginning    its    glorious    and 


1*28  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

gigantic  career;  this  year  he  resolved  under 
God,  with  the  Bible  in  his  hand,  and  his  Saviour 
in  his  heart,  to  go  where  the  darkness  was  dense, 
and  the  sphere  extensive  for  the  diffusion  of  hght. 
In  the  spring  of  1805,  Mr.  Simeon  visited  Lon- 
don, to  impart  Mr.  Thomason's  intentions  to  Mr. 
Grant ;  but  at  that  time  there  was  no  opening 
towards  the  East  Indies,  where  it  was  thought 
most  advisable  for  him  either  to  accompany  or 
to  follow  Henry  Marty n. 

A  resolution  such  as  Mr.  Thomason  had  now 
adopted  was  manifestly  one  of  sharp  conflict,  and 
sacrifice.  The  following  extracts  from  his  letters 
shew  that  the  cost  was  heavy,  but  that  it  was 
counted  humbly  and  deliberately,  both  by  him- 
self and  by  those  whom  the  measure  most  sen- 
sibly affected.  Referring  to  the  Review  of  Nott's 
Lectures,  March  6,  1805,  he  thus  addressed  his 
mother — 

'One  good  effect  has  already  been  produced 
on  my  mind, — an  increased  and  painful  sense 
that  I  am  doing  nothing  to  any  good  purpose. 
The  reading  the  life  and  labours  of  those  ex- 
cellent ministers,  fills  me  with  admiration  of  their 
zeal,  and  with  shame  that  I  am  such  a  blank 
in  creation.  My  sphere  is  contracted,  and  I  long 
for  a  more  extensive  field  of  labour.  God  has 
given  me  an  education  and  a  spirit,  I  trust, 
which  might  render  me  far  more  useful  in  the 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  129 

church  than  I  now  am.  Where  my  present 
thoughts  will  lead  me,  I  know  not;  but  I  look 
round  upon  this  lovely  spot  with  all  the  indif- 
ference of  a  man  who  would,  with  the  greatest 
cheerfulness,  part  with  all  if  a  situation  of  greater 
usefulness,  however  laborious,  should  offer  itself. 
Here  I  am.  'Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me 
to  do  ? ' 

*  But  more  of  this  at  a  future  time ;  in  the 
mean  time  let  us  both  remember, — you,  that  you 
have  frequently  devoted  me  to  God, — and  I,  that 
I  have  professedly  done  so  for  years, — and  that, 
as  a  redeemed  creature,  I  ought  to  be  present- 
ing my  body  a  living  sacrifice  to  God.' 

To  her  who  was  ready  again  to  give  up  her 
son,  but  whose  heart  was  rent  with  inexpressible 
pangs  at  the  very  thought  of  it,  Mr.  Simeon 
wrote  in  terms  of  sympathy  most  tender,  and 
self-renunciation  unreserved. 

*Your  letter  fills  me  with  deep  concern,  and 
I  am  extremely  anxious  to  remove  as  far  as 
possible,  the  load  from  your  mind.  To  convey 
on  paper  all  that  I  have  to  say,  would  be  tedious. 
I  have  judged  it  better,  therefore,  to  set  off  in- 
stantly, for  the  purpose  of  making  known  to  you 
every  thing  that  has  arisen,  and  precisely  as  it 
has  arisen ;  and  at  the  same  time,  to  mention 
some  circumstances  which,  in  all  probability,  will 
operate  to  prevent  the  execution  of  the  plan  your 


130  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

son  proposed  when  he  saw  you  last.  From  the 
beginning  I  have  endeavoured  to  yield  to  no 
bias,  but  to  suggest  every  thing  as  it  occurred 
to  my  mind.  I  have,  in  this  respect,  manifested 
disinterestedness,  at  all  events ;  for  next  to  your- 
self there  certainly  is  no  person  living  who  would 
feel  his  loss  so  much  as  I.  Indeed,  I  can 
scarcely  yield  to  you  in  this  particular ;  for 
though  your  sensibilities  are  beyond  all  compar- 
ison more  exquisite  than  mine,  and  your  be- 
reavement would  be  more  pungent,  your  habits 
of  life  would  remain  the  same  ;  whereas  mine 
would  be  wholly  changed.  I  should  lose  not 
only  a  dear  friend,  but  the  friend  with  whom 
I  live  in  daily  habits  of  communion :  the  friend 
that  is  as  my  own  soul.  I  know  no  loss  that 
would  come  so  near  to  my  feelings,  or  leave  such 
a  blank  in  my  life.  Should  I  be  called  to  bear 
the  loss,  I  hope  that  grace  will  be  given  me 
suitably  to  improve  it.  I  trust  that  you  also, 
if  such  an  event  should  take  place,  will  be 
enabled  to  adopt  the  resolution  of  a  widowed 
lady,  who  lost  her  only  three  children,  one 
after  the  other,  in  quick  succession,  "  I  see  that 
God  is  determined  to  have  my  whole  heart,  and 
so  he  shall." ' 

The  humility  which  pervades  the  following 
letter  from  Mr.  Thomason  to  his  mother,  written 
on   Easter-day,    1805,   cannot    be   misunderstood 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  131 

by  the  Christian  reader;  nor  need  any  one  be 
told  that  however  Mr.  Simeon  concurred  with 
the  writer  in  the  interpretation  of  God's  provi- 
dence at  the  present  juncture,  he  dissented 
wholly  from  his  self-condemnatory  reflections 
and  inferences. 

'  Yesterday  evening  Mr.  Simeon  communicated 
the  result  of  his  communication  with  Mr.  Grant. 
The  inference  is  so  decisive  in  his  mind  and  mine, 
that  I  do  not  lose  a  moment  in  informing  you  of 
it.  It  appears  evident  that  a  minister  who  is  not 
calculated  for  usefulness  at  home,  will  never  be- 
come useful  abroad ;  and  that  change  of  place 
or  employment  cannot  of  itself  quicken  the  soul 
which  for  eight  years  has  been  sleeping  over 
its  labours.  I  feel  the  truth  of  this  more  deeply 
than  I  can  express,  but  not  a  thousandth  part 
so  deeply  as  I  should.  Having  now  dismissed 
all  thoughts  of  foreign  service,  I  hope  to  give 
myself  wholly  to  the  work  that  is  before  me. 
May  God  enable  me  to  live  more  to  him,  lest, 
after  having  preached  to  others,  I  myself  should 
be  a  cast-away. 

'No  one  could  act  a  more  friendly  part  than 
Mr.  Simeon  has  done ;  and  now  that  it  has 
pleased  God  to  set  at  rest  the  painful  question 
which  has  agitated  your  mind,  I  hope  you  will 
soon  be  restored  to  perfect  health.' 

Notwithstanding  the  door  of  missionary  labour 


132  3IEM0IR    OP    THE 

was  closed  upon  Mr.  Thomason  for  the  present,  in 
which  he  acquiesced  meekly,  as  being  the  will  of 
God  ;  it  is  impossible  not  to  contemplate  him  now 
under  a  new  aspect — waiting  like  one  of  those 
angels,  who,  at  God's  'bidding,'  post  over  sea  and 
land,  listening  to  the  first  intimation  from  on  high 
to  go  wherever  he  might  be  sent.  If  the  chains  of 
local  attachment  had  bound  him  too  strongly  to 
Shelford,  they  were  now  snapped  asunder ;  if  his 
affections  had  wound  themselves  too  closely  round 
any  thing  earthly,  the  roots  were  loosened,  and 
he  was  ready  to  be  removed  and  fixed  wherever 
it  might  seem  good  to  God.  This  spirit,  so  be- 
coming one  who  in  profession  is  separated  to  the 
Gospel,  was  not  likely  to  suffer  depression ;  but, 
on  the  contrary,  to  become  more  exalted  by  a 
visit  which  soon  after  his  offer  to  Mr.  Grant  he 
paid  to  an  eminently  Christian  friend,  with  whom, 
in  conjunction  with  Mr.  Jerram,  he  had  taken 
sweet  counsel  in  the  cheerful  spring  of  life. 
Under  his  roof,  he  passed  many  days  of  the 
purest  enjoyment ;  nor  was  this  lessened  because 
it  was  of  that  class  of  pleasures  which  have  a 
grave  and  sober  tint,  rather  than  those  which 
display  more  gaudy  and  glowing  hues.  With 
some  this  category  of  the  mind  has  no  connec- 
tion whatever  with  happiness ;  they  have  yet  to 
learn  that  the  poet  was  not  feigning  when  he 
wrote, 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  13^ 

The  broad  unfeeling  mirth  that  folly  wears, 
Less  pleases  far  than  virtue's  very  tears. 

Of  his  friend  and  himself,  he  says,  '  we  have  had 
many  a  pleasant  conversation  on  times  past  and 
have  recollected  our  years  at  college  with  much 
interest.  O  that  I  could  follow  the  example  of 
Philip  Henry,  who  writes  thus  in  his  diary  when 
he  records  a  visit  to  the  University.  '  I  wept  this 
day  over  my  University  sins.'  Much  cause  have 
I  to  do  so  when  I  recollect  the  many  privileges 
I  have  enjoyed,  and  the  little  improvement  I  have 
made  of  them.  You  will,  I  hope,  think  of  me 
next  Saturday,  and  pray  that  this  returning  anni- 
versary may  be  a  season  of  deep  humiliation  and 
sincere  repentance.  I  would  wish  to  begin  a  new 
life.  Lord,  pardon  what  is  past,  and  strengthen 
me  for  what  is  to  come.' 

The  description  he  gives  of  his  friend's  habita- 
tion, of  his  manner  of  life  and  ministry,  particularly 
of  one  who  was  a  close  imitator  of  those  women 
who  laboured  with  St.  Paul  in  the  gospel,  is  such, 
that  the  enemies  of  the  Church  of  England  would 
howl  for  vexation  of  spirit,  were  there  a  counter- 
part to  it  in  every  parish  in  the  kingdom. — 'A 
sweeter  spot  I  never  saw.  The  vicarage  is  plea- 
santly situate,  with  a  grass  plot  and  shrubbery  in 
front,  and  the  beautiful  spire  of  the  church  at  the 
end.  The  house  within  is  neatness  and  elegance ; 
and  what  is  better  than  all,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  are 
12 


134 


MEMOIR    OF    THE 


wholly  given  up  to  the  work  of  God,  which  pros- 
pers in  an  uncommon  manner  all  around.  Such  a 
revival  has  not  been  known  for  a  long  while; 
yesterday  I  preached  to  the  dear  people.  There 
were  at  least  200 ;  *  it  was  a  lovely  sight,  and  God 
was  with  us  of  a  truth.  Many,  many  tears  were 
shed,  and  we  were  all  of  us  much  refreshed. 
My  text  was  John  iii.  14 — 21.  I  have  never  seen 
a  people  of  so  much  simplicity.  In  conversation 
they  are  unaffected ;  there  is  nothing  of  party  or 
system  in  any  thing  they  say, — they  utter  the  plain 
unsophisticated  truths  of  practical  religion.  This 
is  a  most  striking  feature  of  their  character;  at 
first  it  puzzles  one,  their  expressions  differ  so 
much  from  those  of  more  refined  Christians ;  but 
on  closer  acquaintance  they  evidently  manifest 
the  genuine  temper  and  experience  of  Christians. 
We  are  exceedingly  delighted  with  the  place ; 
here  we  see  a  country  parish  as  it  ought  to  be : 
were  all  parishes  thus  attended  to,  what  a  happy 
nation  would  this  be !  Mrs.  C.  is  a  singular 
woman:  hearty,  zealous,  active,  always  ready  to 
every  good  work.  She  enters  with  all  her  soul 
into  the  work.  In  the  morning  she  shuts  herself 
up  in  the  church  for  an  hour ;  when  she  puts  the 
candles  into  their  place,  sweeps  the  pavement, 
places  the  stools  in  order,  and  makes  all  ready 
for  the  evening  service.     The  church  under  her 

*  It  was  on  a  week-day. 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  135 

hand  is  such  a  picture  of  neatness  as  you  scarcely 
ever  saw.  In  the  evening  again,  an  hour  before 
we  begin,  she  goes  to  the  church  with  a  basket 
full  of  hymn-books  on  her  arm  and  takes  her  seat 
by  the  church  door.  There  she  directs  the  poor 
people  to  their  places,  gives  out  hymns,  and  spends 
the  time  in  some  pious  exercise  till  the  hour  of 
service ;  on  entering  the  church  all  is  order  and 
silence,  but  you  feel  the  pulse  of  the  people  the 
moment  service  begins, — it  is  like  heaven  below.' 

After  such  an  exhibition,  how  could  Mr.  Thom- 
ason  fail  to  find  the  pulse  of  true  piety  beat 
more  strongly  and  steadily  within  him  ?  such  was 
the  case  also  after  an  interview  which  he  had 
during  this  excursion  with  an  aged  Moravian 
minister.  '  In  our  way,'  he  tells  his  mother,  '  we 
passed  within  a  mile  of  the  small  Moravian  settle- 
ment in  Yorkshire.  My  fellow  travellers  passed 
on,  but  I  could  not  resist  the  temptation;  so  I 
turned  in  by  myself.  Having  heard  much  of 
Dr.  Planta,  a  pious  old  minister,  I  inquired  for 
him,  and  was  received  with  much  kindness  and 
affection.  He  is  a  Swede,  and  practised  medi- 
cine at  court  in  his  early  years,  but  determining 
to  devote  himself  to  a  better  employment,  he  went 
to  the  West  Indies;  there  he  continued  above 
twenty  years,  preaching  the  gospel  with  great 
success,  till  the  bad  state  of  his  health  compelled 
him  to  return  to  England.    He  is  now  between 


136  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

eighty  and  ninety  years  of  age ;  his  teeth  are 
gone,  his  voice  falters,  his  appetite  fails,  and  he 
is  evidently  drawing  near  to  the  eternal  state; 
but  the  vigour  of  his  soul  is  unabated  ;  it  is  im- 
possible for  me  to  describe  adequately  the  fervour, 
the  simplicity,  and  the  love  which  he  manifests 
in  his  whole  deportment.  He  shewed  me  all 
round  the  settlement ;  informed  me  of  their  regu- 
lations, and  gave  me  a  long  account  of  God's 
dealings  with  his  soul  from  the  beginning.  It 
was  very  profitable,  and  I  bless  God  for  the  visit 
that  I  had ;  his  parting  words  were,  *  It  is  not 
probable  we  shall  see  each  other  again  in  this 
world,  but  I  trust  we  shall  in  a  better,  and  I  am 
sure  we  shall  if  you  continue  with  Christ.''  I 
partook  of  his  spare  dinner,  and  could  not  but 
admire  the  content  and  peace  which  reigned 
throughout  the  humble  habitation.  You  will  not 
blame  me  for  turning  aside.  I  have  seen  no  sight 
so  lovely,  so  encouraging,  and  so  edifying  in  all 
my  journey.' 

Mr.  Thomason's  resolutions  to  tear  himself  from 
Shelford,  with  all  its  comforts  and  beauties,  when- 
ever it  might  seem  to  be  the  will  of  God,  was 
again  put  to  the  test  at  the  end  of  1806.  An 
opportunity  of  engaging  in  a  very  large  and 
most  laborious  sphere  at  South  Shields  presented 
itself,  upon  which,  without  loss  of  time,  but  not 
without  a  serious  struggle  with  himself,  he  deter- 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  137 

mined  to  enter,  should  the  choice  of  those  who 
had  the  nomination  fall  upon  him.  Little  less  than 
the  spirit  of  a  missionary  was  requisite  to  make 
him  renounce  the  retirement,  the  simplicity,  and 
all  the  nameless  delights  and  associations  of  Shel- 
ford,  for  a  place  characterized  by  noise  and  dirt, 
and  by  the  wretchedness  and  ignorance  of  a  dense 
population.  *  I  have  looked  again  over  the  barren 
hills,  and  smoke,  and  dirt,  and  feel  that  the  con- 
sideration of  15,000  souls  outweighs  every  thing.' 
These  were  the  expressions  of  his  self-devotion : 
knowing  '  how  arduous  it  was  to  become  the 
minister  in  a  town  so  populous  and  opulent,  where 
the  minds  of  men  were  either  immersed  in  busi- 
ness, or  degraded  to  the  lowest  state  of  vulgarity 
and  profaneness  ; '  he  argued  thus  with  himself, — 
'  there  are  many  who  are  reconciled  to  live  here 
all  their  days  in  the  pursuit  of  wealth,  and  shall 
not  the  love  of  Christ  and  the  honour  of  souls 
engage  me  in  the  same  self-denial?  When  a  door 
is  opened  for  the  extension  of  His  kingdom,  shall 
a  minister  of  Christ  say,  1  will  not  enter  it,  because 
the  country  is  dreary,  and  the  place  is  full  of  filth 
and  wretchedness  ?  God  forbid  !  Here  I  am ; 
if  it  please  God  to  fix  me  here,  I  shall  be  con- 
tented to  live  and  die  amongst  them.  These  things 
move  me  not ;  the  only  thing  that  moves  me,  is 
a  fear  lest  I  should  not  bring  a  right  spirit  to  the 
great  work.*  This  determination  to  devote  him- 
12* 


138  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

self  to  South  Shields  was  not  weakened  by  the 
ardent  and  Christian  sahitation  of  a  ship-builder 
there,  who,  after  his  first  sermon,  thus  accosted 
him,  '  I  have  heard  you,  Sir,  with  very  great 
satisfaction  ;  you  are  the  man,  and  we  must  have 
you ;  for  if  you  are  ours,  1  am  convinced  you  will 
do  your  utmost  endeavours  to  make  us  Cod's.' 
All  appeared  for  a  while  to  be  in  accordance  with 
these  honest  and  hearty  wishes  ;  but  an  opponent 
of  dissimilar  sentiments  and  conduct  ultimately 
triumphed.  As  soon  as  the  decision  was  known, 
the  unsuccessful  candidate  returned  to  the  house 
of  the  warm-hearted  shipwright,  where  after  the 
silence  of  grief  for  some  time,  the  master  of  the 
house  and  those  around  him  burst  into  tears — 
*  with  a  heavy  heart,'  said  he,  '  I  bid  them  farewell : 
it  has  pleased  God  to  disappoint  them  and  me — 
His  will  be  done.'  Many,  many,  were  the  plans 
formed,  and  projects  contemplated — he  wrote  to 
a  friend  not  long  after  the  occurrence,  '  in  a 
moment  the  illusion  vanished  ;  why  should  I  feel 
a  moment's  hesitation  in  acquiescing  ?  To  my 
shame  be  it  spoken,  there  was  for  a  season  some- 
thing of  rebellion  within  me.  The  tears  of  the 
people  when  we  parted  led  me  to  cry  out,  T>ord  ! 
why  is  it  so  ?  But  it  is  now  over,  and  J  can  with 
thankfulness  and  praise  stay  where  God  has 
placed  me  ;  with  thankfulness  do  I  say — rather 
let  me  say  with  wonder.     Yes,  it  is  all  wonder 


REV.    THOMAS    TIIOMASON.  139 

that  I  should  be  permitted  to  serve  Him  in  any 
way,  and  more  especially  that  I  should  desire  to  do 
it  in  the  gospel  of  his  Son.' 

Had  Mr.  Thomason  been  stationed  at  South 
Shields,  it  would  probably  have  been  a  final 
measure.  India  in  that  ca'^e  would  have  lost 
the  benefit  of  his  invaluable  labours.  Scarcely 
also  was  there  a  moment  when  he  could  be 
less  spared  at  Shelford  and  Cambridge,  than  at 
the  beginning  of  1807,  for  at  this  very  period  Mr. 
Simeon's  chest  became  so  affected  by  over-exer- 
tion, that  to  the  deep  sorrow  of  a  most  affectionate 
flock,  he  was  compelled  to  desist  from  giving 
public  instruction.  That  voice  so  long  heard  in 
Cambridge — to  so  many  heard  to  their  everlasting 
salvation — was  now  silent.  Abstinence  from 
ministerial  duty  being  the  indispensable  remedy, 
Mr.  Thomason  received,  not  without  much  pain, 
nor  without  some  trepidation,  this  communication 
from  Mr.  Simeon : — '  1  wish  you  to  prepare  to  stand 
up  in  Trinity  Church  on  Sunday  evening ;  in  the 
morning  1  wish  to  preach,  whatever  may  be  the 
state  of  my  body,  because  it  may  be  that — but  I 
forbear.  This  only  I  will  say,  that  my  soul  is 
joyful  in  the  prospect  of  suffering,  as  well  as 
doing  the  will  of  God.  I  do  find  I  am  getting 
nearer  to  God,^  and  1  do  believe  I  shall  get  great 
good  to  my  soul  from  this  interval  of  leisure. 
What  if  the  Lord  should  be  saying,   "  Set  thine 


140  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

house  in  order."  I  bless  His  name,  that  I  am  glad 
to  receive  that  saying  from  him,  and  to  address 
myself  to  that  work.  I  feel  truly  thankful  to  God, 
that  I  shall  have  nothing  to  do  on  the  fast  day,  but 
to  spend  it  in  humiliation  and  prayer. 

That  the  minister  on  whom  Mr.  Simeon's  work 
now  mainly  devolved,  found  that  difficulty  in 
obtaining  assistance,  to  which  allusion  has  been 
made,  is  evident  from  this  statement,  with  the  com- 
ment. '  P —  was  to  have  preached  for  me  at  Trinity 
Church ;  he  thought,  however,  that  in  his  circum- 
stances it  would  not  be  prudent :  may  I  ever  be 
delivered  from  such  prudence  ! ' 

It  was  not  till  the  spring  of  the  next  year  that 
Mr.  Thomason's  long  meditated  design  of  conse- 
crating his  powers  through  life  to  the  service  of 
his  God  and  Saviour  in  a  distant  land,  was  brought 
to  maturity. 

He  thus  imparted  the  state  of  things,  and  that  of 
his  own  feelings,  to  his  mother. 

'  March  4,  180S, 
'  My  acceptance  of  the  appointment  has  not  yet 
come  before  the  Court  of  Directors,  yet  I  cannot 
help  feeling  that  the  event  will  assuredly  be 
brought  about.  I  own  that  the  more  I  consider  the 
various  leadings  of  divine  Providence,  and  reflect 
on  the  unwearied  tenor  of  my  former  wishes  and 
plans,    comparing  them  with  what  I  now  feeJ, 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  141 

the  more  am  I  convinced  that  such  a  change  of 
my  situation  will  be  accomplished.  And  I  think, 
my  dear  mother,  when  you  reflect  on  the  course 
of  my  life  from  the  beginning,  on  the  singular 
manner  in  which  I  was  led  to  devote  myself  to 
the  ministerial  work,  on  the  course  of  providence 
by  which  the  matter  was  brought  about,  and 
above  all,  on  the  earnest  and  repeated  desire  I 
have  felt  again  and  again  for  this  particular  desti- 
nation, especially  when  you  think  that  the  work 
of  my  heart  has  been  uniformly  prevented  by  one 
great  obstacle,  and  that  this  is  now  entirely 
removed,  I  think  you  will  conclude  that  the 
time  appears  to  be  come.  The  same  person  who 
was  once  decidedly  adverse,  so  as  not  to  hear  of 
it  without  tears,  is  now  happy  in  the  thought 
of  it.  She  no  longer  thinks  of  the  sea,  nor  of  the 
climate,  but  counts  it  a  privilege  and  an  honour 
to  be  exposed  in  such  a  cause.  For  my  own  part, 
it  appears  to  be  of  great  consequence  to  the  work 
of  God,  that  help  should  be  applied  in  that  quarter 
where  it  is  most  wanted,  and  that  where  most 
lasting  good  can  be  done,  ministers  should  labour. 
Now  certainly  God  is  doing  a  great  work  in 
India.  The  labourers  are  few,  and  the  field 
amazingly  extensive :  they  want  men  who  will 
work,  and  whose  habits  are  such  as  to  render 
them  useful  workmen  in  a  business  where  appli- 
cation and    study  are    much  wanted.      In    this 


142  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

respect,  my  habits  and  inclinations  are  favourable 
It  will  be  a  pleasure  to  me  to  acquire  their  lan- 
guages, which  are  so  much  studied  in  Bengal, 
the  acquisition  of  which  is  so  important  to  useful- 
ness, and  my  heart  leans  to  that  part  of  the  world 
with  the  same  desire  it  did  just  before  I  entered 
into  orders.  /  consider  that  what  others  expose 
themselves  to  for  lucre  and  worldly  honours,  minis- 
ters ougM  to  endure  for  nobler  ends. 

'All  this  I  am  sure  meets  with  corresponding 
feelings,  my  dear  mother,  in  your  own  mind. 
You  have  again  and  again  given  me  up  to  God, 
and  I  have  no  doubt  you  will  be  supported  on  the 
present  occasion.  What  an  honour  and  happiness 
there  is  in  making  sacrifices  for  Christ's  sake.  I 
am  sure  the  more  we  are  enabled  to  do  this,  the 
more  solid  peace  shall  we  enjoy,  and  the  more 
shall  we  know  him  to  be  a  good  master.  I  trust 
that  you  will  be  fitted  for  every  trial,  and  strength- 
ened to  do  and  suffer  the  whole  will  of  God.' 

Filial  affection  of  the  intensity  of  Mr.  Thom- 
ason's  subordinated,  as  we  behold  it  in  this  letter, 
to  the  love  of  an  unseen  Saviour,  and  to  a  concern 
for  the  souls  of  his  fellow-creatures,  far  off*  and 
unknown,  is  a  spectacle  for  angels.  In  little  more 
than  a  month  after  he  had  written  it,  he  was^ 
studying  Persian  under  a  moonshee  at  Hertford ; 
having  received  his  appointment  to  the  mission 
church  at  Calcutta,  he  was  making  use  of  every 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  143 

effort  to  acquire  a  language  so  important  in  Hin- 
dostan,  and  panted  to  be  at  his  post. 

Thus  to  adopt  his  own  reflections  and  words, 
'  I  have  commenced  the  laborious  and  important 
work — laborious  indeed  it  will  be,  but  I  set  about 
it  with  unspeakable  pleasure,  and  I  trust  that  God 
will  help  me  in  it.  The  prospect  of  spending  my 
strength  and  my  life  in  the  work  of  the  ministry, 
where  help  is  so  much  wanted,  and  the  field  of 
labour  extensive,  is  indeed  delightful.' 


144  MEMOIR    OF   THE 


CHAPTER  VI. 

It  is  well  that  junctures  such  as  that  in  which 
Mr.  Thomason  was  placed  in  the  summer  of  1808 
are  of  rare  occurrence.  When  the  spot  of  fond 
recollections  is  to  disappear  for  ever,  when  well 
known  and  beloved  scenes  are  to  be  exchanged 
for  new  and  untried  ones,  when  our  habits  are  to 
be  broken  up,  when  the  face  of  social  life  is  to 
undergo  a  total  alteration,  and  friends  and  relatives 
are  to  be  seen  for  the  last  time,  the  mind,  musing 
upon  many  things,  sustains  a  load  which  affects  the 
mortal  tabernacle,  and  this  in  return  reacts  upon 
the  mind,  and  increases  its  pressure.  The  Chris- 
tian indeed  rolls  his  every  burden  upon  Christ, 
and  for  the  evil  of  each  day  finds  His  grace  sufli- 
cient.  But  he  did  not  divest  himself  of  his  sen- 
sibilities when  he  put  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Nor  does  he  desire  to  have  them  deadened,  but 
directed  when  he  approaches  him  in  supplication : 
hence  tears  and  farewells  affect  him  deeply,  w^hen 
dangers  and  difficulties  do  not  move  him.  The 
feeling  that  pervades  the  following  letters  is 
eminently  Christian    and   most   natural,    but    the 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  145 

human  nature  of  the  Christian  could  not  bear  fre- 
quent repetitions  of  such  excitement. 

From  St.  Johns,  in  the  Isle  of  Wight,  Mr.  Thom- 
ason  thus  addressed  his  brother-in-law,  the  Rev. 
J.  Fawcett. 

June  8,  1808. 

*  Through  the  goodness  of  God  we  all  arrived 
here  last  night  in  perfect  safety.  The  ship  lies  at 
the  distance  of  two  miles,  we  wait  only  for  a  fair 
wind. 

*  Yesterday  all  our  affairs  were  completely 
arranged,  and  in  the  evening  we  united  all  to- 
gether in  prayer,  commending  each  other  to  the 
grace  of  God.  It  was  remarkable  I  yesterday 
entered  my  35th  year :  The  same  day  closed  my 
labours  in  England,  and  a  new  career  opens  upon 
me  with  a  new  year.  I  am  sure,  my  dear  brother, 
you  will  pray  that  the  Lord  may  give  me  a  new 
spirit,  and  fit  me  for  the  arduous  and  important 
work  that  is  before  me.' 

Then  after  naming  many  dear  relatives  as 
remembered  by  him,  he  adds — 

*They  and  their  children,  you  and  your  chil- 
dren, and  many  more  with  many  more  children — 
how  numerous  the  company  of  dear  friends — how 
many  we  have  to  pray  for !  how  many  will  pray 
for  us  !  Blessed  be  God  that  we  can  pray  for  each 
other.  I  bear  in  mind  the  Sunday  morning's 
13 


146  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

engagements,  and  heartily  join  in  your  prayers — 
may  they  not  only  be  remembered  but  performed 
with  spirituality. 

*  How  much  we  should  enjoy  your  company  at 
this  time !  Never  have  I  felt  more  the  happiness 
of  Christian  society  and  Christian  fellowship — 
thanks  be  to  God  for  ever,  that  we  can  and  do 
enjoy  it. 

*  You  will  be  happy  to  hear  that*  my  mother  was 
much  supported  at  the  trying  hour.  We  retired 
together  for  prayer,  and  the  Lord  was  with  us 
of  a  truth,  and  when  we  rose  from  our  knees,  we 
joined  in  the  parting  embrace  almost  with  smiles 
on  our  countenance.  I  verily  believe  that,  for  a 
moment,  joy  and  thankfulness  were  the  predomi- 
nant feelings  of  our  hearts.  But  it  was  afterwards 
very  bitter.  The  next  morning  I  felt  a  greater 
depression  than  I  could  have  expected.  But  God 
is  good :  I  have  found  him  to  be  so.  The  parting 
has  now  taken  place,  and  painful  as  it  is  we  can 
rejoice.' 

'  At  some  seasons,'  his  mother  wrote  on  the  eve 
of  his  departure,  *I  am  so  oppressed  I  cannot 
command  myself.  I  sorrow  most  of  all  that  I 
shall  see  that  dear  face  no  more  for  ever,  and  only 
in  proportion  as  I  feel  a  sense  of  the  divine  pre- 
sence, can  my  mind  bear  this  deprivation.  I  see 
*  the  suitableness  of  my  dear  son's  character  for 
such  a  situation.     I  cannot  doubt  a  moment  that 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  147 

whatever  the  Lord  does  must  be  right,  and  excel- 
lent, and  sure,  and  good — but  I  exquisitely  feel  his 
loss;  I  wish  and  desire  to  call  upon  myself  to 
look  beyond  this  vale  of  tears  to  that  celestial 
hill  where  God  has  prepared  for  himself  a  city — 
when  once  entered  there  all  tears  will  be  wiped 
away  from  our  eyes  for  ever.  They  expect  to  sail 
to-morrow.     God's  will  be  done.' 

From  her  son  when  the  vessel  was  actually 
under  weigh,  and  England  was  beginning  '  to 
lessen  in  the  lingering  eye,'  she  received  these 
parting  lines — 

Tr avers  under  weigh,  June  10,  1808. 
'  My  dearest  mother, 
'  This  morning  we  were  summoned  on  board. 
The  wind  has  become  fair  and  we  are  proceeding 
out  to  sea.  Our  dear  and  honoured  friend,  Mr. 
Simeon,  accompanied  us  to  the  vessel,  and  is  now 
with  us.  We  all  retired  to  our  cabin,  and  united 
in  prayer,  desiring  to  consecrate  this  spot  to  God, 
and  to  commit  ourselves  and  all  the  ship's  com- 
pany to  his  gracious  care.  Blessed  be  God  we 
know  what  it  is  to  draw  nigh  to  him,  and  we 
feel  but  one  concern — that  we  may  glorify  Him  in 
this  world,  and  enjoy  him  in  the  next.  O  it  is  an 
unspeakable  mercy  to  part  with  a  good  hope  that 
we  shall  one  day  meet  where  sorrow  and  parting 
shall  be  no  more. 


148  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

*  I  hope,  my  dearest  mother,  you  still  experience 
the  gracious  support  of  our  heavenly  Father. 
When  I  look  back  at  this  moment  I  can  discern 
innumerable  mercies  vouchsafed  to  us  both  in 
times  past.  This  is  the  greatest  trial  we  ever  had 
— who  knows  what  joy  we  may  hereafter  find  in 
this  trial  ?  Who  knows  what  joy  may  be  reaped 
by  thousands?  What  abundant  cause  of  thank- 
fulness shall  w^e  have,  if  by  temporal  sacrifices 
many  should  become  partakers  of  everlasting 
happiness.     This  indeed  will  be  a  rich  reward. 

*  I  leave  you,  with  many  dear  and  tender  friends ; 
above  all,  with  a  gracious  God  who  has  guided, 
preserved,  and  blessed  you,  from  the  beginning 
even  till  now.  To  his  gracious  keeping  I  commit 
you,  humbly  hoping  and  believing  that  he  will 
supply  your  every  want  out  of  the  riches  of  his 
grace  in  Christ  Jesus.  May  He  be  your  portion, 
your  shield,  and  your  exceeding  great  reward  I 
Amen.    Amen.' 

'  Adored  be  the  name  of  God,'  were  the  heartfelt 
expressions  of  the  friend  who  accompanied  him  to 
the  ship,  »  for  so  uniting  our  hearts  in  love.'  For  a 
long  time  I  could  not  look  up — but  at  last  I 
cast  an  eye  of  grief  and  aflfection  towards  your 
ship,  and  repeated  it  at  intervals  till  you  were 
about  fifteen  miles  oflf;  then  finding  you  were 
almost  out  of  sight,  I  went  down  into  the  cabin. 


REV.    THOMAS   THOMASON.  149 

I  arrived  at  home  at  twelve  o'clock  at  night — 
thankful  that  I  had  been  permitted  to  enjoy  in  our 
separation  a  pledge  that  we  should  meet  again  at 
the  right  hand  of  God.  Our  love  will  be  there 
the  same — it  is  the  expression  of  it  only,  that  will 
be  different. 

*  The  wind  has  changed — were  it  to  blow  hard, 
you  would  be  driven  back  again.  Shall  I  appear 
unkind  if  I  say  I  should  be  grieved  to  see  you  ? 
Though  I  would  not  for  a  great  deal  have  lost  the 
opportunity  of  parting  with  you  as  I  did,  I  would  not 
willingly  pass  through  it  again  ;  a  few  such  scenes 
would  speedily  wear  and  enfeeble  my  frame.  Yet 
for  your  sake,  more  than  my  own,  I  wish  you  not 
to  be  delayed  in  your  voyage. 

*  June  12.  Sunday.  I  am  just  come  from  the 
table  of  my  blessed  Lord,  where  1  have  been 
commemorating  his  dying  love  with  much  comfort 
to  my  soul.  The  minister  repeated  the  words  to 
every  individual,  so  that  between  receiving  the 
sacred  elements  and  returning  to  the  public  office, 
I  had  above  half  an  hour  to  remember  you  and 
your  children,  the  Captain  and  the  passengers, 
the  Captain's  widowed  wife  and  your  dear 
honoured  mother,  Mr.  Martyn  and  many  others.' 

The  Travers  East  Indiaman  sailed  on  the   10th 
of  June,  1808,  and  in  fourteen  days,  the  weather 
constantly  fine,  the  sea  smooth,  the  wind  favour- 
able, Mr.  Thomason  reached  Madeira.       And  if 
13» 


150  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

in  this  passage  his  sufferings  were  not  of  the  same 
keen  description  as  Henry  Martyn's ;  let  it  be 
remembered,  that  though  he  left  behind  him  a 
mother  for  whom  his  affection  was  most  ardent — 
he  carried  with  him  a  beloved  wife  and  children ; 
nor  let  the  effect  of  local  association,  a  tender  and 
deeply  rooted  attachment,  and  of  sensibilities 
singularly  acute  in  H.  Martyn's  case,  be  forgotten. 
At  Funchal,  how  could  he  witness  the  tawdry 
vanities  and  sickly  superstitions  of  popery  without 
many  a  sigh  ?  Fain  would  he  have  escaped  from 
what  he  beheld  in  the  churches  and  in  the  streets, 
from  the  abuses  of  revelation,  God's  best  gift  to 
man,  to  contemplate  the  works  of  God,  which  are 
so  stupendous  in  that  island.  Yet  even  amidst  the 
grandeur  and  simplicity  of  rocks  and  precipices, 
he  found  the  taint  of  that  odious  corruption  which 
usurps  the  exclusive  title  of  Christianity.  *In 
the  bosom  of  the  mountains,  (it  is  his  own  descrip- 
tion of  a  tour  round  the  island,)  and  in  the  sides 
of  the  rocks,  wherever  the  least  soil  could  be  dis- 
covered, the  vines  are  planted.  They  seem  to 
grow  out  of  the  rocks — the  best  grapes  are  the 
produce  of  these  crags.  The  vine  is  encouraged 
at  the  expense  of  every  thing  else.  We  have  not 
seen  half  a  mile  square  of  fiat  country.  The  ravine 
bursts  upon  the  sight  after  a  long  and  tedious 
climbing  and  fills  the  mind  with  admiration  and 
awe.     Imagine  a  vast  hollow,  whose  depth  alarms 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  151 

the  observer,  whose  sides  are  formed  by  immense 
rocks  of  most  fantastic  shapes.  In  the  bottom  is 
a  chapel,  and  a  priest  hves  in  an  adjoining  house. 
Alas  !  the  poor  people  ;  they  are  sunk  in  supersti- 
tion which  debases  their  minds,  and  bends  them 
down  in  almost  brutal  ignorance.'  The  Roman 
Catholic  Religion,  to  be  known  fully,  must  be 
seen  where  its  tendencies  are  completely  devel- 
oped. In  Protestant  countries,  that  mother  of 
abominations,  that  mistress  of  witchcraft,  is  on  her 
good  behaviour  ;  but  in  other  places  she  throws  off 
the  mask,  and  unblushingly  proffers  the  cup  of  her 
incantations.  There  under  the  tonsure  the  sneer 
of  incredulity  is  often  detected  ;  the  vqry  counte- 
nances of  men  who  walk  with  their  tapers  and 
their  relics  in  a  vain  show,  seemed  to  say  what  one 
of  their  forefathers  is  reputed  to  have  avowed — 
this  fable  of  ours  has  turned  to  a  good  account. 
Where  the  Roman  Catholic  faith  is  daring  and 
without  disguise  it  is,  that  a  just  sense  of  our 
obligations  to  those  great  men  our  Reformers  is  to 
be  acquired.  Into  what  depths  would  not  our  own 
island  have  been  sunk,  but  for  the  writings  and 
translations  of  the  Scriptures,  the  preaching,  the 
prayers,  the  lives  and  deaths  of  those  men  of  God. 
Madeira  about  five  years  before  Mr.  Thomason 
visited  it  had  been  desolated  by  a  terrific  tempest 
and  inundation.  But  where  the  light  is  darkness, 
judgments  do   but  increase    that  darkness.     The 


152 


MEMOIR    OF    THE 


films  that  cover  the  mental  eye  become  thicker 
and  more  impenetrable.  To  appease  the  wrath 
of  God  the  image  of  the  I^ady  of  the  Mountain 
was  solemnly  removed  to  the  cathedral.  The 
bishop  with  all  the  ecclesiastics,  the  principal  inhab- 
itants, and  the  people,  proceeded  to  a  mountain 
to  bring  the  Lady  of  the  Mountain  to  the  Funchal. 
Though  the  distance  was  tw^o  miles,  when  the 
bishop  entered  the  church  on  the  eminence,  the 
people  had  hardly  cleared  the  city.  Drums  were 
beat  and  guns  fired,  illuminations  closed  the  day. 
When  the  English  afterwards  took  the  island, 
which  being  under  the  protection  of  the  Lady  of 
the  Mountain,  was  deemed  impregnable,  it  was 
attributed  to  her  having  taken  offence  because  her 
repose  had  been  disturbed.  Enthusiasm  possesses 
a  resilliency  equal  to  any  pressure :  the  superin- 
cumbent weight  of  common  sense,  observation, 
and  experience,  fails  to  crush  it,  and  serves  only  to 
increase  its  spring  and  reaction. 

His  curiosity  satiated,  his  mind  pained  and  dis- 
gusted, and  with  no  appropriate  task  calling  for 
delay,  Mr.  Thomason  was  not  sorry  when  the  sails 
were  unfurled  that  were  to  waft  him  to  the  place 
of  his  destination.  Yet  as  the  chain  of  distance 
from  England  lengthened  at  every  blast,  his  heart 
could  not  but  suffer  from  some  of  those  perturba- 
tions to  which  nature  is  alive,  and  which  the  grace 
of  God  alone  can  calm  and  sanctify.     On  opening  a 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON. 


153 


picture  of  his  beloved  friend,  Mr.  Simeon,  which 
he  had  not  before  seen,  he  was  melted  into  tears 
again  and  again.  'We  have  looked  and  wept, 
wept  and  looked.  These  are  not  tears  he  truly 
says,  of  worldly  sorrow,  but  spiritual  joy ;  we 
weep  for  more  of  his  spirit,  we  thank  God  for  the 
love  and  union  that  subsists  between  us,  which  we 
humbly  hope  will  keep  us  one  for  ever  and  ever.* 

In  the  early  part  of  the  month  of  November, 
after  a  voyage  of  above  five  months,  and  of  singu- 
lar serenity,  '  a  long  interval  crowded  with  mercies 
beyond  all  that  can  be  expressed,'  Mr.  Thomason 
and  those  sailins;  with  him  began  to  look  and  long 
for  the  shores  of  Hindostan.  But  before  their  feet 
could  press  that  land  now  not  distant,  and  before 
their  hands  could  grasp  those  of  their  Christian 
brethren  awaiting  their  arrival,  the  Lord  who  doth 
whatsoever  he  pleases  in  heaven  and  earth,  and  who 
doth  all  things  well,  had  in  reserve  for  them  a  trial 
of  portentous  magnitude.  On  the  coast  of  Pegu, 
early  on  the  morning  of  the  7th  of  November,  the 
Travers  struck  upon  some  hidden  rocks,  and  soon 
after  the  crew  had  escaped  from  her,  with  the 
exception  of  sixteen  poor  creatures  who  could  not 
be  removed,  was  swallowed  up  in  the  waves. 
The  horrors  of  that  terrific  event,  the  perils 
encountered  between  leaving  the  wreck  and 
reaching  the  other  ships,  and  all  the  varied  emo- 
tions to  which  the  scenes  of  danger  and  deliverance 


154  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

gave  birth,  it  would  be  injustice  to  the  talent  and 
tenderness,  and  above  all  to  the  faith,  patience, 
ardent  thankfulness  of  Mr.  Thomason,  to  recount 
in  any  but  his  own  words :  they  are  from  a  letter 
to  his  mother. 

'  Nov.  13,  1808,  Off  the  Sand  Heads. 
*  "O  be  thankful  unto  the  Lord,  for  he  is  gracious, 
and  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever."  Let  the  re- 
deemed of  the  Lord  say  so  ;  *'  Bless  the  Lord,  O 
my  soul,  and  all  that  is  within  me  bless  his  holy 
name.'*  You  will  read  the  narrative  of  the  Lord's 
mercies  to  us  with  tears  of  joy  and  thankfulness. 
Our  voyage  had  been  singularly  propitious,  from 
Madeira  down  the  coast  of  South  America,  to  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  from  thence  to  the  Bay 
of  Bengal.  We  had  fine  weather  all  the  way ;  no 
gales  to  alarm,  no  calms  to  detain  us.  I  was 
chiefly  occupied  in  a  diligent  study  of  the  Persian 
language,  Mrs.  T.  in  instructing  the  children  :  our 
days  passed  quickly  and  profitably.  But  whatever 
may  have  taken  place  during  the  voyage,  the 
conclusion  of  it  has  been  marked  by  so  signal  an 
interposition  of  divine  Providence,  that  we  have 
neither  time  nor  inclination  to  fix  our  mind  on  any 
other  object.  How  will  your  heart  be  filled  with 
thankfulness,  and  your  lips  show  forth  his  praise, 
when  you  hear  that  the  unworthy  writer  of  the 
following  narrative,    with   his   beloved   wife   and 


REV.    THOaiAS    THOMASON.  155 

children,    have   been   almost    miraculously   saved 
from  destruction. 

'  Whilst  events  are  still  fresh  in  my  recollection, 
and  in  order  that  they  may  ever  continue  so,  I  will 
endeavour  to  relate  that  most  wonderful  deliver- 
ance from  shipwreck,  by  which  God  has  been 
pleased  to  preserve  my  wife  and  family,  with  many 
other  persons.  Early  in  the  morning  of  the  7th, 
we  approached  Cape  Negrais.  Soundings  were 
made,  which  left  us  no  room  to  apprehend  any 
immediate  danger.  At  half-past  four  they  were 
twenty-one  fathoms ;  which,  being  certified  to  the 
captain,  he  immediately  came  on  deck,  and  gave 
orders  for  heaving  the  ship  to.  The  words  were 
scarcely  pronounced,  when  the  ship  struck  upon  a 
rock.  At  this  time  the  Earl  Spencer  was  so  near, 
the  captain  hailed  and  cried  out,  they  were  amongst 
breakers.  The  Earl  Spencer  providentially  escaped, 
and  actually  passed  over  the  reef  without  striking, 
but  our  own  ship,  notwithstanding  every  exertion, 
continued  to  strike  with  violence.  The  first  shock 
brought  down  the  mizen  top-mast  ;  the  wind 
then  blowing  fresh.  In  a  moment  a  cry  of  distress 
was  raised,  which  was  heard  by  the  Spencer,  and 
which  it  very  soon  appeared  was  not  made  with- 
out reason.  The  passengers  and  all  the  ship's 
company  were  soon  upon  deck,  and  saw  with  the 
deepest  anguish  the  danger  in  which  they  were. 
I  had  previously  gone  down  and  informed  Mrs.  T. 


156  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

that  the  ship  had  struck,  and  that  none  but  God 
could  save  us.  The  heeling  of  the  ship  was  now  tre- 
mendous, and  the  blows  continued,  till  the  rudder 
was  broken  with  an  awful  crash,  that  seemed  to 
portend  that  the  ship  should  immediately  go  to  the 
bottom.  Who  but  those  who  have  actually  borne 
a  part  in  such  scenes  can  conceive  the  dreadful 
sensations  thus  produced.  We  endeavoured  to 
commit  ourselves  to  the  mercy  of  God,  and  then 
Mrs.  Thomason  snatching  up  our  dear  J.  followed 

by  Mrs. ,   with   O ,    repaired  on  deck. 

Here  the  confusion  was  extreme.  Through  the 
mercy  of  God  the  wind  soon  moderated  ;  a  cir- 
cumstance which  gave  time  to  take  proper  mea- 
sures for  saving  the  crew.  The  mainmast  was 
first  cut  down,  which  fell  over  the  side.  After,  the 
foremast  was  cut  away,  and  we  were  thus  left  a 
mere  hull,  which  was  momentarily  coming  to 
pieces;  at  this  critical  juncture,  the  cutter  unfor- 
tunately went  a-drift ;  the  jolly-boat  was  dispatched 
after  it,  and  in  the  mean  time  the  crew  were  all 
employed  in  clearing  and  launching  the  long-boat. 
This  was  a  long  and  difficult  operation,  but  as  all 
our  lives  depended  on  its  success,  the  men  exerted 
themselves  to  the  utmost.  Before  they  had  fairly 
raised  it  from  its  place  the  ship's  back  was 
broken,  and  at  this  moment  I  felt  that  nothing 
but  a  miracle  could  save  us.  I  lifted  up  my  heart 
to  God,  and  exhorted  Mrs.  Thomason  to  do  so  too. 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  157 

I  committed  myself  and  all  my  concerns  to  Him. 
Meanwhile,  a  squall  of  wind  and  rain  caused  the 
ship  to  beat  violently ;  we  all  stood  on  the  deck 
drenched  to  the  skin,  looking  with  anxious  impa- 
tience to  the  launch  of  the  long-boat.  The  ladies 
and  children  having  been  roused  suddenly  from 
their  beds,  were  wet  and  half  naked,  and  most 
pitiable  objects.  I  ran  down  into  my  cabin  to 
secure  something  from  the  wreck  which  I  might 
preserve,  if  saved  from  destruction,  as  a  memorial. 
In  vain  I  sought  in  the  confusion  of  the  moment 
for  my  pocket-bible  ;  at  length,  hastily  snatching 
up  my  Hebrew  psalter,  with  a  volume  of  the  Greek 
Testament,  and  my  mother's  last  and  valued 
present,  the  Golden  Treasury,  I  put  them  into  my 
bosom,  and  flew^  to  my  dear  Mrs.  Thomason  and 
the  children  on  the  deck.  In  passing  through  the 
cabin  to  the  ladder,  it  was  painful  to  hear  the  rush- 
ing of  the  water  in  the  hold,  and  to  see  the  decks 
giving  way,  and  the  boxes  floating  about  on  all 
sides.     Arrived  on  the  deck,  I  remained  with  my 

dear  B ,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the 

long-boat  launched  into  the  water.  The  captain 
then  called  for  the  ladies,  who  were  one  by  one 
conveyed  into  the  boat  by  a  rope.  The  gen- 
tlemen followed,  and  the  crew,  to  the  number 
of  ninety-one  :  more  could  not  be  admitted  with 
safety.  In  the  cutter  were  eighteen,  in  the  jolly 
boat  eleven.  A  sail  was  hastily  thrown  into  the 
14 


158  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

boat,  and  we  left  the  wreck  with  mingled  sensa- 
tions of  joy,  regret,  and  apprehension.  New 
dangers  indeed  were  now  before  us.  Our  consorts 
were  out  of  sight,  and  though  we  could  see 
the  land  from  the  ship,  it  was  at  a  great  distance  ; 
our  boat  was  crowded,  the  sea  high,  the  weather 
boisterous,  and  the  shore  when  reached,  barbarous 
and  inhospitable.  This  was  a  trying  situation. 
How  little  did  we  think  a  few  hours  before,  that 
we  should  in  such  circumstances  cast  a  longing 
lingering  look  on  the  Travers.  The  wreck  afforded 
a  distressing  spectacle  ;  we  turned  our  heads  from 
the  scene,  and  looked  before  us,  and  committed 
ourselves  to  the  guidance  of  Providence.  Danger- 
ous as  our  situation  was,  I  found  it  extremely 
difficult  to  realize  the  nearness  of  death.  I  kept 
lifting  up  my  heart  to  God,  and  relied  on  his 
gracious  protection.  We  had  brought  a  little  sail 
from  the  wreck,  which,  with  the  help  of  our  oar, 
kept  our  boat  before  the  wind.  It  was  about 
seven  o'clock  when  we  committed  ourselves  to 
the  boat ;  soon  after,  a  heavy  squall  of  rain  came 
on,  which  rendered  our  situation  still  more  gloomy 
and  distressing.  At  the  end  of  an  hour  and  a  half 
we  saw  the  other  two  ships  at  a  great  distance, 
and  they,  after  we  perceived  them,  made  sail  from 
us.  This  was  a  distressing  moment,  as  our  last 
resource  seemed  to  fail  us.  Meanwhile  a  tre- 
mendous squall    involved    us    in   darkness,    and 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  159 

drenched  us  with  sheets  of  water.  The  boat 
shipped  much  water,  and  it  was  extremely  diffi- 
cult on  account  of  her  being  so  heavy  loaded,  to 
keep  her  before  the  wind ;  at  length,  however,  by 
the  good  providence  of  God,  the  weather  cleared 
up,  and  we  saw  the  other  two  ships  heave  to,  in 
order  to  receive  us.  This  was  a  cheering  sight, 
and  with  inexpressible  joy  we  looked  toward  them, 
and  thanked  God  as  we  observed  the  lessening 
distance.  However,  a  third  heavy  squall  came 
on,  and  hid  them  from  our  view :  through  this  we 
were  preserved  by  the  same  gracious  Providence, 
and  as  we  approached  the  E.  Spencer,  we  saw  the 
poop  and  deck  covered  with  spectators,  beholding 
our  progress,  and  longing  to  receive  us.  Passing 
under  the  stern,  I  felt  quite  overpowered :  it  was 
indeed  an  affecting  sight.  Above  a  hundred" 
fellow-creatures  rescued  from  a  watery  grave,  were 
joyfully  received  aboard,  cheered  by  the  loud  and 
cordial  congratulations  of  their  deliverers.  It  was 
a  feast  to  the  benevolent  captain  of  the  E.  Spen- 
cer and  the  crew,  to  be  instrumental  in  the  pre- 
servation of  so  many  lives,  and  it  was  on  our  part 
a  deliverance  never  to  be  forgotten.  The  continued 
emotions  of  joy,  surprise,  cordiality,  gratitude, 
cannot  be  described ;  the  thing  must  be  seen  to  be 
felt.  It  was  half-past  ten  when  we  arrived  at  the 
ship,  having  been  three  hours  and  a  half  exposed 
in  an  open  boat  on  a  heavy  sea,  during  which  time 


im 


MEMOIR    OF    THE 


we  had  sailed  about  ten  miles.  Before  we  arrived, 
a  gentleman  on  board  the  E.  Spencer  saw  the 
Travers  break  in  the  middle,  and  the  fore  part 
go  down.  It  afterwards  blew  very  hard,  and  there 
can  be  no  doubt  but  that  before  the  afternoon, 
every  vestige  had  disappeared.  I  have  omitted  to 
say  that  my  dear  E.  awakened  by  the  violence 
of  the  shock  immediately  fell  on  her  knees,  and 
prayed  with  much  earnestness  that  God  would 
pardon  her  soul.  It  was  with  difficulty  she  could 
be  torn  from  the  bed.  On  deck  she  renewed  her 
cries,  saying,  "  Let  me  die  with  papa.  Lord,  for- 
give my  sins  for  Christ's  sake."  B's  agitation  at 
first  was  very  great,  afterwards  it  subsided.  We 
stood  all  by  one  another,  and  solemnly  gave  our- 
selves up  to  God :  and  neither  then,  nor  now,  nor 
at  any  preceding  moment,  did  we  feel  the  smallest 
regret  at  having  left  our  native  country.  I  had 
almost  forgotten  to  mention  the  attention  of  pas- 
sengers towards  us.  One  of  them  ran  hastily  down 
and  recovered  my  watch,  the  alarum  which  you 
gave  me  several  years  ago,  and  which  will  be  one 
hundred  times  more  valuable  than  ever.  That, 
with  the  trifling  articles  above-mentioned,  are  all 
the  riches  that  remain  to  us.  When  we  were 
obliged  to  leave  several  of  our  fellow-creaiures  on 
board,  it  was  out  of  the  question  to  encumber  a 
boat  already  overloaded.  One  of  the  servants 
seeing  Mrs.   Thomason    standing  in    the    heavy 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON. 


161 


rain,  without  shoes  or  stockings,  approached  her, 
saying  *  You  have  no  shoes ;  take  mine.'  I  never 
can  forget  this.  Another  brought  her  a  coat,  a 
third  a  blanket  for  J.  and  a  coat  for  E.  But  I 
cannot  convey  an  adequate  idea  of  the  scene.' 

To  Mr.  Simeon,  from  Calcutta,  Mr.  Thomason 
wrote  on  the  all-absorbing  subject  of  his  most 
providential  escape  somewhat  more  fully,  having 
then  had  more  time  to  collect  his  thoughts. 

*  December  5,  1808. 
'  Here  we  are  by  the  good  providence  of  our 
God  at  the  wished- for  haven.  June  10th  we  left 
Portsmouth.  Nov.  19  we  arrived  at  Calcutta; 
but  we  have  arrived  in  a  way  we  did  not  expect, 
not  only  ovei-  the  waters,  but  through  them.  On 
the  morning  of  Nov.  7 — a  morning  much  to  be 
remembered  by  us — the  Travers  struck  upon  a 
rock,  and  in  a  short  time  was  a  complete  wreck. 
The  ships  in  company  escaped  in  all  haste  from 
the  scene  of  danger,  and  were  soon  out  of  sight. 
We  ivere  left,  not  to  the  mercy  of  the  ivinds  and 
waves,  but  to  the  mercy  of  God,  who  marvellously 
interposed,  and  brought  us  off  in  safety.  As  we 
entered  the  bay  of  Bengal,  after  a  delightful  voyage, 
in  which  we  had  not  been  seriously  incommoded 
by  winds  or  worn  out  with  calms,  the  wind  obliged 
us  to  go  to  the  eastward  and  pass  by  two  of  the 
Nicobar  Islands,  and  sail  to  Bengal  by  the  inward 
14* 


MEMOIR    OF   THE 

passage.  In  coming  out  of  that  passage,  though 
the  navigation  is  dangerous,  off  Cape  Negrais,  the 
southernmost  point  of  Ava  is  Diamond  Island, 
then  in  a  southerly  direction,  Drowned  Island, 
the  Cocos  Preparis,  the  Andamans.  Between 
Diamond  Island  and  Drowned  Island  is  a  reef  of 
rocks,  and  by  some  mistake  of  the  Captain's  we 
got  among  them.  At  five  o'clock,  Monday  morn- 
ing, Nov.  7,  the  ship  struck.  I  had  just  dressed 
myself,  and  was  actually  proceeding  towards  the 
deck,  when  just  as  I  had  fairly  reached  it  a  tre- 
mendous blow,  which  almost  overset  the  ship, 
clearly  shewed  us  the  nature  of  our  situation.  In 
a  moment  all  the  ship's  crew  were  assembled  on 
deck.  I  went  down  in  haste  to  B.  and  informed 
her  of  the  disaster,  and  we  hastened  up  together. 
She  had  nothing  on  her  but  a  counterpane,  and 
the  dear  children  each  a  sheet.  We  clung  together 
near  the  round  house,  and  lifted  up  our  hearts  to 
God.  It  was  an  awful  scene,  every  countenance 
was  filled  with  terror  and  despair.  Thus  in  one 
short  moment  they  had  exchanged  their  peaceful 
slumbers,  for  all  the  horrors  of  threatening  destruc- 
tion. The  ship  continued  to  strike  violently ;  one 
mast  was  cut  away  after  another.  The  guns 
were  thrown  overboard,  and  every  hand  was 
employed  in  clearing  and  launching  the  boat. 
This  was  our  only  resource,  and  now  the  long- 
boat was  let  down  into  the  sea,  checked  as  it  was 


REV.    THOiMAS    THOMASON.  163 

by  spars,  and  unaided  by  tackle,  though  the  loss 
of  the  masts  is  at  this  time  a  subject  of  surprise, 
even  to  naval  men  of  experience.  Through  the 
good  providence  of  God,  this  was  at  length 
effected,  and  when  the  ship  was  filled  with  water, 
and  all  the  lower  decks  blown  up;  when  the 
stern  post  was  gone,  and  all  the  after-cabin  dashed 
into  one ;  when  the  back  of  the  ship  was  broken, 
and  she  was  fast  sinking  in  the  middle,  we  saw 
the  long  boat  safely  launched  into  the  deep.  The 
ladies  were  let  down  by  haul  lines,  one  by  one, 
then  the  children,  and  the  gentlemen  passengers, 
until  ninety-three  persons  had  crowded  into  the 
long-boat,  and  we  seemed  ready  to  sink.  In  the 
cutter  were  eighteen,  in  the  jolly-boat  eleven,  in 
all  one  hundred  and  twenty-two.  Six  Europeans 
were  left,  seven  China  men,  and  three  Lascars. 

*  In  the  boat  we  had  to  encounter  new  perils ;  no 
ships  were  in  sight,  the  land  at  a  great  distance, 
and  we  had  neither  oars  nor  sail  to  steady  us  ;  the 
sea  seemed  every  instant  ready  to  swallow  us  up. 
This  interval  of  twenty  minutes  was  very  critical, 
for  the  wind  was  fresh,  and  the  boat  unmanage- 
able, from  the  crowd  of  persons  that  overloaded 
it.  At  length  the  sail  was  hoisted,  and  after 
going  before  the  wind  near  one  hour  and  a  half, 
we  saw  at  a  great  distance  the  other  two  ships. 
After  encountering  three  heavy  squalls,  and 
escaping  many  dangerous  seas,  we  arrived,  through 


1€4  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

the  mercy  of  God,  safe  on  board  the  E.  Spencer, 
Captain  Heming,  where  we  were  received  with 
transports  of  joy,  and  treated  with  most  affec- 
tionate kindness.  Major  and  Mrs.  Welch  gave 
Mrs.  Thomason  and  myself  half  of  their  cabin. 
We  reached  our  friends  half  naked,  without  one 
earthly  comfort,  stripped  of  our  all  except  the 
rags  on  our  back. 

"  They  who  are  wise  will  observe  these  things" 
— not  vaguely  and  generally,  but  with  a  watchful, 
humble,  grateful  particularity.  In  this  spirit  Mr. 
Thomason  wrote  to  his  mother,  drawing  up  for  her 
and  for  himself,  an  inventory  of  his  mercies,  and 
marking  distinctly  the  links  and  component  parts 
of  this  signal  providence. 

'  In  the  late  wonderful  event  there  were  many 
circumstances  that  marked  the  interposition  of 
Divine  Providence,  and  deserve  particular  notice. 

*  The  ship  did  not  strike  in  the  dead  of  night, 
when  the  difficulties  opposing  our  escape,  would, 
humanly  speaking,  have  been  insupportable. 

*  After  she  struck,  the  wind  abated  for  nearly 
an  hour,  otherwise  the  ship  could  not  have  been 
kept  together  long  enough  to  launch  the  boats. 

•  *  The  masts  fell  to  the  leeward ;  had  they 
fallen  to  the  windward,  the  ship  would  have 
swung  oft'  the  rocks,  and  instantly  sunk. 

'  When  the  wind  blew  fresh  again  the  ship 
kept  together  till  the  boats  were  launched. 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  165 

'  The  launching  of  the  long-boat  was  effected 
under  all  the  circumstances  of  a  heavy  sea,  a 
rolling  ship,  no  masts  to  which  to  fasten  the 
tackle — by  mere  dint  of  muscle,  all  uniting  in  the 
work,  and  wondering  at  the  effects  of  their  united 
labour. 

'  After  being  launched,  it  was  not  swamped, 
dashed  as  it  was  amongst  the  masts  and  spars  of 
the  wreck. 

'  Crowded  as  we  were,  we  were  not  upset 
between  leaving  the  ship  and  hoisting  the  sail. 

*  We  were  preserved  through  a  perilous  navi- 
gation of  four  hours ;  and  brought  to  the  Earl 
Spencer  not  only  without  loss  of  life,  but  without 
injury  to  our  persons. 

'  The  Captain  and  officers  conducted  themselves 
with  coolness,  intrepidity,  and  good  order. 

*  It  becomes  us  to  acknowledge  God  in  these 
matters.  O  that  the  remembrance  of  his  mercy 
may  be  ever  with  us  !  Praise  God  with  us,  and 
pray  with  us  that  this  may  tend  to  the  furtherance 
of  the  gospel.' 

Mr.  Simeon's  comment  on  his  friend's  preserva- 
tion, is  too  appropriate  and  characteristic  to  be 
omitted. 

'  How  deep  and  mysterious  are  the  ways  of 
God ! — that  you  should  be  made  willing  to 
transport  yourself  and  family,  and  all  you  had  to 
the  shores  of  India,  and  then  be  landed  on  these 


166  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

shores,  glad  to  escape  with  your  very  lives  !  You 
vievv^  the  calamity  in  its  true  light.  I  adore  my 
God  for  giving  you  so  just  a  view  of  it.  God  has 
said  to  you,  as  to  the  first-born  of  Egypt,  I  have 
spared  your  lives,  and  you  shall  be  mine.  I  trust 
it  is  not  the  wish  of  either  of  you  that  a  commu- 
tation of  the  Levites  should  ever  take  place.  You 
are  well  contented  and  happy,  that  his  service 
should  be  your  one  employment — himself  your 
only  portion.  I  was  much  comforted  to  find  that 
in  the  midst  of  your  danger  and  distress,  not  a 
thought  of  regret  ever  assailed  your  minds.  Here 
is  the  comfort  of  being  in  the  Lord^s  way.  We 
are  prepared  for  every  event.  I  am  persuaded 
that  God  has  had  designs  of  good  towards  the 
people  of  Calcutta.  The  exercises  of  love  to 
which  your  necessities  have  called  them  will,  I 
hope,  be  matured  to  a  habit,  and  such  an  attach- 
ment be  formed  as  shall  endure  to  all  eternity,' 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  167 


CHAPTER  VII. 


Mr.  Thomason's  arrival  at  Calcutta  gladdened 
the  heart  of  numbers  in  that  city — who  re- 
ceived him  as  from  the  dead,  especially  that  of 
Mr.  Brown,  who  welcomed  him  as  he  had  done 
H.  Martyn  before,  with  all  the  cordiality  of 
Christian  love.  His  first  interview  with  that 
eminent  servant  of  the  Redeemer,  he  thus  touch- 
ingly  narrates.  '  We  both  sat  down,  but  it  was 
long  before  my  tears  suffered  me  to  speak.  They 
were  tears,  as  I  told  him,  not  of  sorrow,  but  of  joy 
and  thankfulness,  wonder  and  praise.  He  told  us 
to  look  around  the  walls — the  furniture  and  the 
house  were  ours.  It  was  a  house  built  in  faith 
and  prayer  as  the  residence  of  a  missionary,  out 
of  the  contributions  of  a  number  of  poor  persons 
who,  many  years  past,  had  subscribed  towards  a 
fund  for  the  support  of  the  gospel,  and  united  their 
prayers  that  God  would  send  them  a  minister. 
Need  I  say  that  every  chair  and  table  spoke  to  us 
with  a  voice  that  thrilled  through  our  hearts  and 
overwhelmed  us.  Truly  we  could  then  praise 
God  for  our  shipwreck.     Wc  could  see  a  good 


16§  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

reason  for  the  dispensation.  It  was  plain  that 
God  had  thrown  us  upon  this  praying  people,  that 
he  had  cast  us  from  the  rest  of  the  world,  and  laid 
us  under  the  obligations  of  Christian  love,  in  order 
that  we  may  be  devoted  to  the  sacred  charge 
of  feeding  his  sheep.  He  has  placed  us  in  cir- 
cumstances where  every  thing  is  actually  the 
fruit  of  faith  and  love,  in  order  to  teach  us  that 
we  have  but  one  thing  to  do.  Mr.  Brown  intro- 
duced us  into  the  church  and  vestry,  where  many 
had  assembled  the  evening  before,  to  thank  God 
for  our  deliverance,  and  pray  for  a  blessing  on  the 
minister  preserved  to  them.  Since  we  came  here, 
we  have  had  nothing  to  do  of  a  worldly  nature ; 
all  care  has  been  taken  from  us  by  our  Christian 
friends.  Think  not  of  our  hardships,  losses, 
dangers,  but  of  the  honour  He  has  put  upon  us  in 
sending  us  to  a  praying  people — sending  us  with 
loss  of  all,  to  persons  who  supply  our  wants  with 
tears  of  thankfulness;  let  not  a  thought  of  assisting 
us  enter  your  minds — know  all  of  you,  we  stand  in 
need  of  nothing  hut  your  prayers :  these  we  implore,'' 
The  second  Sunday  after  landing  at  Calcutta, 
Mr.  Thomason  commenced  his  ministry  at  the  old 
church  from  the  text,  "  Knowing  the  terrors  of  the 
Lord,  we  persuade  men."  Mr.  Brown  also  the 
same  day  preached  a  thanksgiving  sermon  for  the 
greatest  part  of  the  crew  of  the  Travers,  few 
of  whom,  however,  attended  the  sermon,  and  fewer 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMPSON.  169 

Still  the  sacrament  administered  the  succeeding 
Sunday  by  Mr.  Thomason,  with  express  reference 
to  their  signal  deliverance*  At  the  table  of  the 
Lord,  four  only,  exclusively  of  Mr.  Thomason's 
family,  were  present.  Such  ground  is  there  so 
often  for  that  sorrowful  exclamation  :  "Were  there 
not  ten  cleansed  ? — where  are  the  nine  ?  " 

Whatever  Mr.  Thomason's  temporal  privations 
might  have  amounted  to,  we  have  seen  enough  to 
collect  that  he  had  not  endured  the  greatest  of  all 
losses,  that  of  the  benefit  mercifully  intended  by 
his  sufferings.  A  perusal  of  the  following  letter 
written  five  months  after  his  shipwreck,  to  Mr. 
Simeon,  (to  which  extracts  from  his  reply  are 
appended,)  will  confirm  the  conviction  that  he  was 
a  spiritual  gainer,  and  that  incalculably,  by  his 
sweeping  disaster.  Both  letters  expose  the  very 
inmost  fibres  of  affectionate  hearts ;  both  exhibit 
the  powerful  influences  of  the  grace  of  God. 

My  beloved  and  honoured  friend, 
*  What  shall  I  say  to  you.  The  request  with 
which  your  letter  concludes  is  in  unison  with  all 
the  feelings  of  my  heart.  I  may  well  have  some- 
thing appropriate  to  say  to  one  who  has  loved 
so  much,  and  to  whom  we  are  all  bound  by  so  many 
ties  of  obligation  and  love.  We  have  received 
two  letters  from  you,  both  of  which  have  cheered 
us  more  than  words  can  express.  The  tears  of 
15 


170  MEMOIR  OF  THE 

affection  you  have  shed  for  us,  are  not,  I  hopCj 
totally  lost  upon  us,  though  we  are  very,  very  un- 
worthy of  the  love  you  bear  towards  us.  Accept 
of  our  most  affectionate  acknowledgments  for  every 
expression  of  love,  every  friendly  admonition, 
every  tender  petition  for  our  welfare.  It  has  often 
comforted  and  warmed  our  hearts  when  we  reflect 
on  the  interest  we  bear  in  your  prayers.  One 
evidence  I  have,  that  my  heart  is  not  altogether 
insensible,  is  my  daily  grief  and  sorrow  that  the 
warm  and  lively  feelings  expressed  in  your  letter, 
do  not  meet  with  a  more  corresponding  glow 
in  my  own  heart.  O  wretched  heart !  inexpres- 
sibly unworthy  the  least  of  God's  mercies ;  I  do 
chide  myself,  and  take  the  shame  of  my  coldness 
and  ingratitude  towards  God,  and  towards  you. 
I  pray  God  to  kindle  the  flame  of  love  in  me,  that 
the  fire  may  be  burning  brighter  and  brighter 
upon  the  altar  every  day.  It  is  not  animal  affec- 
tion I  deplore  the  want  of,  but  Christian  affection 
— ^Jioly  love,  that  love  that  gives  earnestness  to 
prayer,  and  which  brings  us  into  the  happy 
enjoyment  of  Christian  communion  at  a  throne 
of  grace,  though  separated  16,000  miles  from  each 
other.  Here  it  is  that  the  ardour  of  your  affection 
meets  with  so  wretched  a  return,  and  here  it  is 
that  I  find  daily  cause  for  humiliation  and  grief. 
I  have  taken  your  letters  in  my  hand — walked 
after  sunset  on  the  roof  of  our  church,  and  wept. 


REV.    THOMAS  THOMASON.  171 

In  feeble  and  sorrowful  accents  I  have  endeavoured 
to  confess  all  my  vileness  before  God.  For  ever 
blessed  be  his  name,  the  vilest  may  find  mercy; 
and  that  one  v^^ord  expresses  the  one  thing  which 
I  want.  Sure  none  will  have  such  great  cause  to 
bless  God  for  his  pardoning  mercy  and  his  saving 
grace  as  myself.  With  respect  to  the  actual  state 
of  my  own  mind,  I  can  only  say,  as  I  think  I  did 
in  my  last  to  you  from  Mr.  Brown's  house — that 
I  hope  I  am  beginning  to  understand  the  gracious 
dealings  of  God,  and  to  feel  the  unspeakable  im- 
portance of  my  situation  as  a  minister  of  the 
Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  I  bless  God  the  shipwreck 
has  not  been  wholly  forgotten,  though  I  only  feel 
beginning  to  improve  it.  If  the  Lord  himself  had 
not  been  on  our  side,  even  such  a  mercy  would 
have  been  wholly  forgotten.  Experience  shews 
us  that  except  he  give  us  grace  to  improve  his 
dispensations,  no  judgments,  no  mercies,  no  warn- 
ings, will  avail  any  thing.  In  our  almost  miracu- 
lous escape  from  the  deep,  God  has  given  us  a 
new  and  impressive  call,  for  which  we  have  reason 
to  bless  his  name ;  but  more  especially  have  we 
reason  to  bless  him  for  not  having  suffered  it  to 
escape  from  our  wTetched  hearts.  It  has  in  some 
measure  led  us  to  renewed  earnestness  and  deep 
humiliation  before  God,  and  now  at  the  end  of  five 
months  I  feel  a  growing  sense  of  gratitude  to  the 
Lord  for  having  brought  us  to  India  in  the  way  he 


172  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

has.  Many  of  our  friends  at  home  have  pitied  us^ 
but  indeed  it  is  a  great  matter  of  joy.  I  value  it 
as  a  most  precious  jev^^el,  and  would  not  on  any 
account  recover  from  the  deep  v^^hat  we  have  lost, 
even  were  it  in  my  power.  The  Lord  moves  in  a 
mysterious  way,  but  all  his  doings  are  in  faithful- 
ness and  mercy.  We  were  coming  to  India  flushed 
with  hope,  full  of  ardour  and  sanguine  expecta- 
tions, much  animal  fervour,  and  an  amazing 
portion  of  self-sufficiency.  He  casts  us  upon  a 
rock ;  it  was  a  hard  blow  and  it  spoke  loudly, 
*  Mind  what  you  are  about.'  We  were  richly  fur- 
nished with  books  and  stores  of  various  kinds ;  he 
takes  them  all  from  us ;  sends  us  here  as  cast-aways, 
completely  stripped  of  every  thing  but  our  trust  in 
him  and  hope  in  his  word.  Blessed  be  his  name, 
1  say  again  and  again,  that  he  gives  us  also  a 
heart  to  think  of  these  things,  and  to  pray  for  a 
right  improvement  of  them.  The  searchings  of 
heart  on  this  occasion  have  been  very  salutary 
though  painful ;  and  we  can  testify  to  the  praise 
of  his  grace,  that  we  are  labouring  with  new  ear- 
nestness, new  zeal,  new  love,  new  thankfulness, 
to  live  wholly  for  God.  And  now,  my  dearly 
beloved  friend,  you  have  expressed  a  wish  to 
hear  something  appropriate,  what  can  I  say  to 
you  ?  What  can  I  communicate  to  you  but  the 
actual  workings  of  my  heart  ?  You  will  reasonably 
expect  that  such  an  introduction  to  India  ought  to 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  173 

be  accompanied  with  important  effects  on  my  own 
mind,  and  ought  to  lead  to  a  new  and  more  devoted 
surrender  of  myself  to  the  Lord.  I  beseech  you 
when  you  write  express  freely  your  views  upon 
this  subject.  Tell  me  what  effects  ought  to  follow 
from  a  dispensation  of  this  nature.  I  charge  you 
before  God  as  you  value  the  cause  of  your  blessed 
Redeemer,  and  desire  to  promote  it,  to  put  me  in 
mind  of  these  things  with  authority.  Ask  whether 
I  am  living  more  nearly  to  God :  remind  me  of  this 
very  request  I  am  now  making,  that  I  may  be 
stirred  up  to  diligent  self-examination,  lest  I  be  put 
to  shame  before  God  and  man.  I  pray  God  that 
his  blessing  may  rest  upon  you,  both  in  your  public 
and  private,  and  in  all  your  social  duties:  to  all 
the  dear  people  at  Shelford  and  Cambridge,  present 
my  Christian  love.  I  look  back  upon  my  ministry 
amongst  them  with  deep  shame  and  grief  of  heart. 
I  have  injured  them  all,  and  I  shall  never  be  able 
to  express  this  to  them  in  person.  I  cannot  but 
do  it  before  God,  and  implore  God  for  my  innu- 
merable neglects  and  want  of  spiritual  zeal  and 
faithfulness  whilst  amongst  them.  I  never  loved 
them  so  much  as  at  this  moment,  and  never  so 
earnestly  desired  their  spiritual  welfare. 

'  If  it  please  God  to  spare  my  life,  I  hope  to  give 
some  efficient  aid  in  translations.     At  present  of 
course  I  can  do  nothing,  but  others  are  doing  won- 
ders.    Honoured  and  beloved  Martyn,  whose  face 
15* 


174  ME3I0IR    OF    THE 

we  are  not  likely  to  see  for  a  long  time,  is  doing,  as 
always,  great  things.' 

Fro3i  Mr.  S'lmeon  to  Mr.  Thomason. 

'  I  cannot  express  what  refreshment  your  long 
letter  was  to  my  soul.  The  length  of  time  between 
one  month  after  your  arrival  and  the  month  of 
February  was  so  great  as  to  cause  painful  appre- 
hensions. But  your  letter  at  last  made  amends 
for  all.  There  was  one  part  in  particular  that 
quite  overcame  me,  and  for  a  time  deprived  me  of 
utterance.  Your  mention  of  our  dear  brother 
Martyn:  a  great  length  of  time  had  intervened 
since  any  letter  had  arrived  from  him :  the  last 
gave  a  bad  account  of  his  health.  His  only  sur- 
viving sister  died  about  eight  months  ago,  and  I 
began  to  fear  that  he  was  dead  also.  The  sight 
of  his  name  and  of  his  restoration  to  health  was 
such  a  cause  for  gratitude,  that  I  instantly  fell  on 
my  knees  to  bless  and  adore  my  God. 

*  If  my  emotions  have  been  less  strong  respecting 
you,  they  have  not  been  less  sincere  or  less  affec- 
tionate. Indeed  the  two  first  times  I  read  your 
letter,  my  sensations  were  quite  strong  enough  for 
my  weak  frame  to  sustain.  As  it  contained  nothing 
which  our  dear  friends  and  people  ought  not  to 
hear,  I  permitted  it  to  be  read,  being  myself 
present  to  make  observations ;  it  is  needless  to 
mention  what  universal  joy  and  gratitude  it  excited. 


REV.    THOMAS   TH03IAS0N.  175 

*  Bui  how  shall  I  answer  your  letter  where  you 
bid  me  to  charge  you  in  the  name  of  our  Almighty 
Father,  and  to  put  questions  to  you  in  my  own 
particular  way.  Alas !  I  want  to  be  charged  my- 
self, and  am  but  little  qualified  to  charge  others: 
and  if  questions  when  put  to  me  I  must  answer 
them  by  hanging  down  my  head  and  covering  my 
face  with  shame.  As  to  the  question  you  ask 
respecting  the  improvement  you  should  make  of 
the  deliverance  vouchsafed  you,  I  know  of  no 
words  whereby  to  express  it  better  than  "i(o  be 
Jiumhled  in  thankfulness  before  God.''''  I  can  in 
some  little  measure  tell  you  how  it  has  been  with 
me  in  some  very  recent  deliverances  on  horseback. 
I  had  most  confidently  put  myself  in  God's  hands, 
and  he  most  graciously  preserved  me :  in  return 
for  which  I  could  not  help  saying  in  the  words  of 
David  that  all  my  bones  should  praise  him.  I 
could  not  help  putting  forth  first  one  limb,  then 
another,  stretching  them  forth  to  him,  and  receiv- 
ing them  afresh  from  him,  and  devoting  them 
afresh  to  him.  Thus  then  I  think  it  may  be  with 
you ;  you  may  receive  yourself  afresh  from  him, 
and  devote  yourself  in  all  your  powers  and  facul- 
ties afresh  to  him.  When  you  see  dear  Mrs. 
Thomason  and  your  children,  receive  them  from 
the  Lord  afresh,  tell  them  they  are  his,  and  that 
you  give  them  up  to  him.  The  state  of  mind 
which  under  your  circumstances  I  should  wish  to 


176  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

retain  is  that  of  humble  grateful  adoration.  It  was 
but  Tuesday  last  I  preached  on  the  first  petition 
of  the  Lord's  prayer;  and  though  commentators 
generally  interpret  it  as  merely  supplicatory,  I 
could  not  but  consider  it  as  Eucharistic.  I  have 
found  at  all  times  when  my  soul  has  been  in  a 
better  frame,  that  admiring  and  adoring  acknow- 
ledgments have  preceded  supplications,  and  that  I 
dared  not  ask  for  more  till  I  had  rendered  my 
acknowledgments  for  past  favours.  This  I  feel  to 
be  my  state,  when  I  awake,  if  I  am  at  all  in  a 
proper  frame,  and  the  object  which,  whether  in 
your  situation  or  my  own,  I  should  wish  to  attain, 
would  be  to  have  my  soul  abidingly  in  this  state.' 

Mr.  Thomason's  services  in  the  church  began  at 
eight  in  the  morning,  and  again  at  eight  in  the 
evening  of  the  sabbath-day,  an  arrangement  which 
diminished  fatigue,  and  exempted  him  even  in  the 
hot  season  from  overpowering  exhaustion.  On 
Thursday  evenings  he  had  a  service  ;  and  on 
Saturday  evenings  he  assembled  the  children  in 
the  church,  accompanied  by  their  parents  and 
friends.  Another  evening  of  the  week  was 
allotted  to  visiting  those  who  were  decidedly  reli- 
gious: they  met  together  at  different  houses  for 
the  purpose  of  hearing  the  Scriptures  expounded, 
and  prayer.  But  the  state  of  society  was  adverse, 
he  wrote  to  Mr.  Simeon,  '  to  the  progress  of  the 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  177 

gospel.  In  addition  to  the  common  difficulties 
arising  from  the  character  of  the  hearty  there  are 
obstacles  here  which  are  tremendous.  The  civil 
servants  of  the  company  hold  the  highest  rank; 
you  may  call  them  the  nobility — then  come  the 
merchants,  the  shop-keepers,  the  half-casts. 
These  form  so  many  circles  of  distinction,  and  so 
many  sorts  of  pride,  which  have  a  sad  effect  in 
checking  a  free  intercourse  among  the  people. 
With  certain  unavoidable  exceptions,  these  do  not 
mix  together,  and  will  hardly  be  seen  together. 
The  religious  people  I  have  found  in  Calcutta, 
have  retained  these  prejudices.  The  bringing 
them  to  worship  God  in  the  same  room,  has  beea 
a  strange  thing  among  them :  our  regular  congre- 
gation at  the  Old  Church  is  much  smaller  than 
you  would  expect, — not  more  than  250  on  an 
average ;  on  the  week-day,  100 ;  but  you  are  to 
recollect,  there  are  no  servants  in  this  number. 
The  church  would  contain  450.' 

'  You  have  no  idea  in  England,  (he  writes  after 
a  somewhat  longer  residence  in  India,)  of  the 
peculiar  difficulties  which  oppose  the  progress 
of  the  gospel  in  this  place.  They  are  prodigious, 
and  in  the  highest  degree  discouraging;  arising 
partly  from  the  nature  of  the  climate,  and  partly 
from  the  nature  of  society,  and  chiefly  from  the 
close  intercourse  with  the  wretched  natives,  who 
are  more  degraded  than  you  can  imagine,  and  who 


178  MEMOIR   OP    THE 

have  the  entire  charge  of  children,  and  manage- 
ment of  household  matters.  The  natives  swarm 
around  us,  and  corrupt  the  minds  of  children 
from  the  earliest  years.  To  an  Englishman,  the 
effect  of  their  example,  and  the  contagion  of  their 
language  and  practices,  cannot  be  adequately 
represented.  The  natives  become  mothers  of  a 
progeny,  notorious  for  bad  morals  and  weak 
minds.  Some  favourable  exceptions,  but  only  a 
few,  can  be  mentioned.  Religion  alone  raises 
them — this  gives  a  solidity  of  character — they 
become  trusty  and  well-behaved.  These  form  a 
great  majority  of  our  congregations.  The  number 
of  rich  people  and  company's  servants  who  come 
to  church  is  comparatively  small.  The  better 
fiort  of  people  send  their  children  home  at  five  or 
six;  until  then,  they  are  undej*  the  charge  of 
native  servants,  and  their  minds  are  poisoned  as 
far  as  they  can  be  at  that  tender  age.  The  parting 
from  them  is  heart-breaking.  They  part  with 
them  very  often  never  to  see  them  more.  This 
produces  a  sad  derangement  in  society.  There  is 
no  such  thing  as  a  domestic  circle.  The  olive 
branches  round  the  table,  so  delightful  in  England, 
are  unknown.  The  children  cannot  even  speak 
their  mother  tongue ;  they  have  to  learn  English 
on  their  way  home.  There  is  a  dissolution  of  all 
the  tender,  amiable,  cheering  household  virtues. 
These  observations  apply  to  the  far  greater  number 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  179 

amongst  us.  Some  there  are  who  diligently  labour 
against  these  disadvantages.  They  live  retired, 
and  do  all  they  can  to  counteract  the  influence 
of  the  native  servants.  If  very  conscientious,  they 
may  succeed  ;  but  -the  instances  are  very  rare — 
the  sacrifice  of  liberty  and  pleasure  are  so  great. 
The  business  of  a  minister  lies  in  encouraging  those 
who  are  making  some  endeavours  for  the  good  of 
their  families ;  in  assisting  and  presiding  over  their 
efforts — but  the  progress  must  be  slow.  It  is  a 
fixed  rule  with  us,  that  the  children  are  always  in 
the  presence  of  one  amongst  us.  We  never  suffer 
them,  not  for  a  moment,  to  have  any  intercourse 
with  the  servants  alone.' 

In  less  than  half  a  year,  Mr.  Thomason's  con- 
gregation increased,  and  considerable  interest 
in  religion  was  excited,  and  instances  of  decided 
impression  came  to  the  knowledge  of  the  minister. 
*  Not  even  in  Cambridge,'  he  testified,  '  have  I 
witnessed  such  deep  and  solemn  attention  to  the 
word  of  God.' 

Having  made  considerable  progress  in  Persian 
during  the  voyage,  Mr.  Thomason  gave  himself,  in 
addition  to  his  ministerial  employments,  to  the 
study  of  Hindoostanee  and  Arabic.  The  plan 
of  the  day  was  this,  *We  rise  very  early,  and 
return  from  our  morning  rides  by  six  ;  at  half-past 
six  we  have  family  prayer ;  at  seven  we  breakfast. 
Between  that  and  two,  I  am  in  my  study ;  at  two 


180  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

we  dine  ;  at  three  I  am  in  my  study  again  till  five, 
then  we  have  family  prayer  ;  from  six  till  nine  or 
ten  is  occupied  in  riding  and  visiting  friends ;  in 
private  parties  and  public  duties.  I  have  found  it 
necessary  to  decline  all  invitations  to  dinner, 
without  exception.  This  has  enabled  me  to  be 
regular,  and  very  retired  without  giving  offence.' 

*  I  feel  every  day,'  he  concludes,  '  increasingly 
thankful  to  God,  for  having  opened  a  door  in  his 
providence  to  bring  me  to  India.  I  thank  God  for 
having  brought  me  to  a  place  where  labourers  are 
so  much  wanted,  and  where  there  is  so  much  to 
be  done,  especially  that  he  gives  me  a  heart  for 
the  wOrk,  and  many  encouraging  tokens  of  his 
presence.  Our  week-day  meetings  in  private 
houses  would  rejoice  your  heart.  If  we  could 
transport  you  here  for  one  month,  how  it  would 
rejoice  us  I  But,  alas !  we  are  parted  never  to 
meet  again  here.  Yet,  why  do  I  say  alas  !  when 
it  is  the  will  of  God.  I  retract  the  word.  Let 
me  rather  look  forward  in  humble  hope,  that  we 
shall  meet  together  at  the  throne  of  God.  I  am 
ashamed  to  say,  Pray  for  me ;  because  my 
conscience  reproaches  me  with  so  much  ingrat- 
itude and  neglect  towards  you :  yet  I  do  say 
it  again  and  again.' 

In  his  ministry,  Mr.  Thomason  had  made  one 
alteration — for  reasons  which  he  himself  furnishes 
— he  exchanged  extemporaneous  for  written  dis- 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  181 

courses.  After  saying,  Blessed  be  God,  I  hope 
the  work  prospers  in  my  own  heart;  I  love  my 
work  and  my  post;  he  thus  explains  his  motives 
for  this  change.  *  You  will  think  perhaps  it  is  no 
proof  of  this,  that  I  have  left  off  extemporary 
preaching,  and  that  it  looks  rather  like  a  want 
of  zeal.  But  first,  I  look  with  shame  upon 
my  extemporary  preaching;  many  things  were 
said  without  thought — without  knowledge — with- 
out experience — without  proof — without  judgment. 
I  earnestly  wish  to  weigh,  and  examine,  and  pray 
over  all  that  is  delivered  in  public.  I  would  fain 
set  out  anew  in  this  high  and  holy  calling. 
Secondly,  the  people  here  are  prejudiced  against 
extemporary  preaching;  they  have  been  always 
used  to  written  discourses,  and  it  is  desirable  to 
remove  every  im.pediment,  be  it  what  it  may. 
Thirdly,  the  exertion  of  extemporary  preaching  is 
vastly  greater  in  this  country  than  in  England. 
But  I  am  more  and  more  convinced,  that  it  mat- 
ters little  how  we  preach,  so  that  we  carry  with  us 
into  the  pulpit  the  presence  of  God,  and  preach 
and  pray  in  the  Holy  Ghost.' 

So  favourably  had  Mr.  Thomason's  labours  been 
received,  that  before  the  lapse  of  six  months  it  was 
expedient  to  enlarge  his  church ;  and  though  the 
days  as  they  rolled  on  were  scarcely  distinguish- 
able from  each  other,  in  the  prosecution  of  the  work 
of  each  day,  he  had  the  most  perfect  enjoyment. 
16 


182  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

In  either  hemisphere  it  would  have  been  difficult 
to  have  discovered  a  happier  man  ;  so  much  in 
error  are  they,  who  deem  never-ceasing  vanity, 
and  stimulants  of  every  description,  necessary 
ingredients  in  their  cup  of  joy.  One  comfort 
indeed  was  wanting ;  a  minister  of  congenial  sen- 
timents stationed  near  him,*  with  whom  he  might 
have  unreserved  intercourse,  and  take  that  counsel 
which  is  truly  sweet.  He  had  not  forgotten  his 
intimate  personal  communications  with  Mr. 
Simeon,  neither  were  the  comforts  of  the  clerical 
meetings  in  England  obliterated  from  his  recollec- 
tion ;  he  longed  for  something  of  this  sort  in  India, 
and  not  the  less  so  on  learning,  that  his  brethren, 
at  their  last  meeting  at  Shelford,  had  in  their 
prayers  commended  him  and  his  flock  to  the  grace 
of  God.  "  I  need  not  say,"  wrote  one  then  pre- 
sent, "  how  universally  or  how  tenderly  you  were 
remembered  by  us  ;  your  absence  caused  a  painful 
blank.  Our  separation  was  peculiarly  solemn  and 
affectionate ;  we  took  leave  of  each  other,  rather 
with  our  eyes  than  with  our  tongues,  hoping,  if 
spared  to  another  year  again  to  participate  in  this 
feast  of  love.  I  could  not  but  contrast  this  meeting 
with  that  of  another  society ;  the  composed,  the 
meek,  the  tender  serenity  of  the  one,  with  the 
tumultuous  bustle  of  the  other." 

♦  Mr.  Brown  was  living  at  Aldeen,  at  some  distance  from  Calcutta. 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  183 

The  fellow-labourers  with  whom  Mr.  Thomason 
was  in  unison,  and  for  whose  society  he  sighed, 
were  those  who  could  sympathise  with  the  lowly 
and  sublime  sentiments  developed  in  the  following 
letter  to  Mr.  Simeon. 

'  A  letter  from ,  received  this  day,  contain- 
ing an  account  of  your  last  clerical  meeting  at 
Shelford,  has  filled  our  hearts  with  thankfulness, 
a  glowing  thankfulness  and  joyful  recollection  of 
past  scenes:  I  may  add  also  with  joyful  antici- 
pations of  that  happy  period,  when  the  redeemed 
of  the  Lord  shall  be  assembled,  never  more  to  be 
separated,  never  more  to  be  harassed  by  their  spir- 
itual enemies.  We  would  always  thus  connect  the 
future  with  the  past :  while  we  think  of  the  mercies 
received,  and  the  social  harmony  and  christian 
love  of  that  favoured  place,  we  would  look  for- 
ward to  that  better  place.  Then  we  grieve  no 
longer  at  the  thought  of  never  seeing  you  again  in 
the  flesh ;  we  feel  a  glow  of  animation  and  grati- 
tude in  the  hope  of  meeting  beyond  the  grave. 
Let  me  thank  you,  and  all  the  dear  friends  assem- 
bled on  that  occasion.  The  tender  expression,  and 
sympathizing  tears,  and  earnest  prayers,  and 
devout  thanksgivings,  which  then  abounded  for  us, 
vile  unworthy  creatures,  demand  a  humiliating 
soul,  and  devout  acknowledgment  both  to  God 
and  to  you.     And  they  have  it.     We  feel  abased 


184  MEMOIR    OP    THE 

and  we  feel  thankful.  D —  told  us  every  thing 
minutely,  and  enabled  us  to  meet  with  you,  and 
to  pray  with  you,  and  to  converse  with  you  all; 
but  still  more  to  weep  for  ourselves ;  for  indeed 
we  feel  that  your  love  is  sadly  thrown  away. 

'  You  know  the  nature  of  regular  employment  in 
the  pulpit ;  the  word  of  God  does  not  appear  to 
be  very  rapidly  advancing,  yet  we  hear  of  much 
that  encourages  us.  The  work  of  catechising  seems 
to  promise  good.  But  we  want  the  outpouring  of 
the  Spirit ;  and  until  the  spirit  be  poured  upon  us 
from  on  high,  no  very  great  good  can  take  place 
amongst  us  :  we  are  praying  for  this  ;  without  this 
we  may  toil  all  night  and  catch  nothing.  O  that 
the  preacher  may  catch  the  sacred  fire,  and  the 
people  rejoice  and  be  glad  ! 

'  I  find  our  Thursday  evenings  profitable  times. 
We  are  going  through  the  gospel  of  St.  John :  the 
congregation  does  not  much  exceed  one  hundred 
and  fifty  people.  But  they  come  to  hear  plain 
truths,  and  we  often  find  the  Lord  is  with  us  indeed. 
We  are  in  the  sixth  chapter — the  bread  of  life.  My 
subject  this  evening  includes  these  two  verses, 
"  He  that  eateth  my  flesh  and  drinketh  my  blood, 
dwelleth  in  me,  and  I  in  him.  As  the  living 
Father  hath  sent  me,  and  I  live  by  the  Father,  so 
he  that  eateth  me,  even  he  shall  live  by  me." 
What  can  a  poor  empty  creature  say  of  the  fulness 
there  is  in  Jesus  ?  what  can  I  say  of  Jesus  dwell- 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  185 

ing  in  me,  and  my  dwelling  in  Jesus?  O  how  we 
fritter  away  these  passages,  if  we  are  not  living 
nigh  to  God,  and  enjoying  the  glorious  knowledge 
of  the  gospel  in  daily  dependence  on  the  Re- 
deemer. This  I  want  very  much,  very  lamentably, 
and  my  people  will  be  meagerly  fed.  That  word 
"dwelleth  in  me,  and  I  in  them,"  fills  my  soul 
with  wonder,  and  abases  me  to  the  dust.  I  would 
know  it,  and  feel  it,  but  know^  not  how.  I  would 
speak  of  it  and  recommend  it,  but  have  no  heart 
for  the  marvellous  theme.  Will  God  in  very  deed 
dwell  in  this  diseased  polluted  heart  ?  Does  He 
dwell  there? — and  can  I,  a  vile  and  wretched 
sinner,  be  said  to  dwell  in  him  ?  Though  I 
scarcely  dare  say,  Yes,  yet  I  fain  would  come 
and  cast  myself  upon  the  Saviour.  It  is  my  only 
refuge  and  hope,  and  if  this  reposing  of  the  soul 
in  Jesus,  be  indeed  to  eat  his  flesh,  and  drink  his 
blood,  I  would  now  do  it,  yea,  I  must  do  it. 
Still  I  cannot  lay  hold  of  that  word — "  dwelleth  in 
me,  and  I  in  him."  I  feel  very  remote  from  this ; 
it  is  too  high,  I  cannot  reach  it.  I  feel  like  a 
blind  man  leading  the  blind.  My  comfort  lies  in 
the  freeness  and  sovereignty  of  God's  grace  ;  for 
while  it  gives  strong  meat  to  those  who  are  full 
grown,  it  administers  milk  to  the  babe. 

'  My  dear  and  honoured  brother,  you  know  not 
how  very  far  I  am  from  being  a  minister  of  the 
gospel.    I  am  no  gospel  minister,  for  I  know  it 
16* 


186  ME3I0IR    OF    THE 

not  I  sit  down  and  pen  some  miserable  thoughts 
on  Scripture,  and  occupy  a  certain  portion  of  time 
in  talking  about  the  love  of  God,  and  the  suffi- 
ciency of  Jesus,  and  the  work  of  the  Spirit ;  but 
it  is  sad  trifling  with  myself  and  my  hearers.  Sur- 
prising is  that  blindness  which  hides  from  me  the 
glory  of  the  gospel,  and  that  unbelief  which  puts 
it  away  from  my  soul,  and  that  dishonesty  which 
starts  from  the  presence  of  a  holy  God,  and 
excludes  me,  if  I  may  so  say,  from  the  holy  of 
holies:  but  where  am  I  wandering, — this  is  very 
unprofitable  to  you.  O  my  brother,  pardon  me, 
and  weep  over  me,  and  pray  for  me.  One  good 
end  will  be  answered  by  this  communication,  you 
will  know  better  how  to  pray  for  me.  I  want,  for 
myself  and  people,  more  of  the  simplicity  of  the 
gospel.  I  want  to  come  to  Christ  and  bring  them 
with  me :  I  long  for  the  time  when  the  glory 
of  the  Redeemer,  and  fulness  of  this  salvation 
shall  so  occupy  my  mind,  that  in  studying  and 
preaching  I  may  have  no  other  object  in  view,  but 
speak  always  out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart. 

'  There  are  great  snares  attending  our  technical 
tnode  of  sermon-making.  Though  I  speak  to 
a  man  famous  for  Helps  to  Composition,  I  speak 
the  truth,  and  know  the  danger  of  this  *art  of 
preaching ; '  we  are  apt  to  chalk  out  our  work,  and 
cut  and  prune,  and  then  what  a  judicious,  fine, 
persuasive  discourse  is  this  !      And  oftentimes  our 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON. 


187 


love  of  Christ  and  of  souls  evaporates  in  our  neat 
exordium,  and  luminous  distribution  and  close 
application  to  the  sermon.  I  am  ashamed,  and 
tired,  and  sick,  heart-sick  of  this.  I  have  smarted 
for  it,  and  do  every  day. 

'Martyn  tells  me  he  has  begun  to  preach 
to  the  natives  at  his  new  station.  The  poor 
and  maimed  he  refers  to  Sunday  for  relief. 
When  collected,  he  knows  not  how  to  dismiss 
them  without  speaking  a  word  about  the  bread 
of  life.  But  he  gives  a  poor  account  of  them. 
The  discouragements  are  greater  than  you  can 
imagine.  It  seems  as  if  the  line  of  duty  con- 
sisted in  waiting  and  watching  in  a  prepared  state 
for  opportunities  that  offer,  than  in  going  forth 
and  talking  to  them  as  missionaries.  When  and 
how  such  opportunities  may  be  expected,  I  know 
not.  The  Lord  send  them,  and  give  us  grace  to 
improve  them.  If  the  tide  flows,  the  ship  will 
sail.' 

It  will  readily  be  believed  that  the  month  of 
November,  in  the  year  1809,  did  not  return  to 
Mr.  Thomason  without  a  special  commemoration 
of  mercies.  In  a  letter  dated  '  November  8,  Banks 
of  the  Hooghly,'  expression  was  thus  given  to  the 
emotions  of  his  soul,  animated  by  deep  gratitude 
to  God  and  love  to  man. 

'  The  time,  and  situation,  and  circumstances 
of  the  present  moment  are  all  so  interesting,  that 


188  MEMOIR   OF    THE 

my  full  heart  knows  not  how  to  commence  the 
present  communication.  It  is  the  day  after  the 
memorable  7th  of  November,  which  we  have  been 
spending  together  in  retirement,  six  miles  down 
the  river,  at  the  house  of  a  friend.  Yesterday  we 
endeavoured  to  recall  to  our  minds  the  event 
of  that  day,  and  were  enabled,  blessed  be  God, 
to  humble  ourselves  before  him  in  some  measure, 
and  to  encourage  ourselves  and  our  beloved  chil- 
dren anew  in  his  service.  It  was  to  us  a  solemn 
and  profitable  day.  The  situation  is  on  the  banks 
of  that  river  to  which  we  came  through  such  a 
mysterious  train  of  providences,  and  along  which 
we  proceeded  naked  and  destitute  to  the  place 
of  our  destination.  The  circumsta7ices  too,  under 
which  I  write,  are  peculiar.  At  family  prayer 
"we  had  renewed  our  vows  of  yesterday,  and  had 
withdrawn  into  my  study,  and  were  conversing 
together  in  the  most  serious  manner,  when  letters 
from  Europe  were  put  into  our  hands,  containing 
all  the  affectionate  congratulations,  sympathies, 
prayers,  and  praises  of  our  beloved  friends.  How 
affecting  a  close  to  the  profitable  scene  !  My 
mother's  feelings  were  anticipated — so  were  yours  : 
but  your  kind  and  tender  expressions  far  exceed 
any  thing  we  looked  for,  and  fill  us  with  an 
overwhelming  sense  of  the  undeserved  goodness 
of  God.' 

Marked  as   this,  and  the   next  year   was,   by 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  189 

losses  of  Indiamen,  more  than  usually  frequent 
and  terrible,  Mr.  Thomason's  thanksgivings  to 
the  God  of  his  mercies,  could  not  but  be  height- 
ened by  contrast.  One  very  awful  case  spread 
gloom  over  the  settlement ;  it  was  that  of  a  vessel 
homeward  bound  in  which  was  a  chaplain  return- 
ing to  England  with  a  large  fortune.  He  had 
been  unhappily  led  into  an  opposition  to  the  early 
ministry  of  Mr.  Martyn,  and  had  preached  against 
him  and  his  irrefragible  statements  of  divine  truth. 
That  the  €ross  was  his  sole  anchor  at  the  last,  is  a 
hope  to  which  charity  would  fondly  cling. 

By  a  capture  of  one  of  our  traders,  Mr.  Thoma- 
son,  as  far  as  his  comforts,  and  his  sensibilities  too 
were  concerned,  was  a  sufferer.  Notwithstanding 
Ms  positive  injunctions  to  his  friends  to  confine  the 
expressions  of  their  love  to  prayers,  they  had  sent 
him  out  a  variety  of  books,  accompanied  by  other 
tokens  of  attstchmcnt.  But  the  ship,  singular  to 
relate,  was  captured  by  the  French,  recaptured 
and  finally  taken  again.  On  this  disappointment 
he  comments  in  this  heavenly  strain — '  It  seems  as 
though  God  would  complete  the  weaning  he  has 
begun  ;  and  we  bless  him  for  it.  Every  thing  by 
which  England  could  be  remembered  is  swept 
away:  but  what  is  above  all  price,  the  bond  of 
love  is  increased  a  thousand  fold  ;  we  are  more 
one  with  you  in  spirit ;  more  closely  united  in 
Christ,  more  endeared  by  the  common  interest  we 


190 


MEMOIR    OF    THE 


feel  at  the  throne  of  grace,  and  the  common  pros- 
pect of  glory.' 

Those  who  know  not  with  what  ill-ominous 
forebodings,  and  with  what  a  torpedo-touch,  every 
attempt  to  lift  up  the  torch  of  revelation  in  India 
had  been  invariably  met,  can  but  inadequately 
conceive  the  joy  of  those  who  loved  the  Bible, 
when,  as  was  the  case  this  year,  1810,  the  foun- 
dation of  a  Society  was  laid  in  Calcutta  for  the  dis- 
persion of  the  word  of  life  through  the  length  and 
breadth  of  that  benighted  land.  On  this  occasion 
Mr.  Thomason  was  not  backward,  either  to  rejoice, 
to  contribute,  or  to  act. 

Some  members  of  council,  the  Commander  in 
Chief,  and  the  Judges,  as  well  as  other  influential 
persons,  engaged  to  promote  this  holy  cause.  By 
ignorance,  adopting  the  semblance  and  tone  of 
oracular  wisdom,  all  attempts  of  this  nature  had 
been  denounced,  as  fraught  with  'extreme  peril 
to  our  Indian  empire.  But  the  darkness  was 
beginning  to  pass  away,  and  with  it  all  the  phan- 
toms of  the  night.  That  noble  institution,  in 
its  commencement  and  progress,  has  awakened  a 
most  salutary  interest  in  many  a  bosom  and  as  to 
native  prejudices,  they  have  slept  on  tranquilly, 
or  if  roused  for  a  moment,  it  has  been  to  relapse 
into  slumber  still  more  profound.  So  will  it  be 
with  respect  to  the  immolation  of  widows :  so 
will  it  be  also  when  the  hand  of  power  shall  be 


'  REV.    THOMA.S    THOMASON.  191 

lifted  up  to  crush  the  rites  of  Juggernaut,  the 
toleration  of  which  by  a  Christian  government, 
is  an  abomination  as  palpable  and  odious  as 
the  very  service  of  the  idol  by  the  heathen 
worshippers. 

For  the  greater  part  of  two  years  Mr.  Thomason 
was   almost   as   strong  to  labour   in   India   as   in 
England,  but  the  second  hot  season  made  a  sensi- 
ble impression  on  his  health.     He  thus  describes 
the  Indian  year : — April :  it  is  the  middle  of  the 
hot  season,  we  have  fiery  days  and  stormy  nights. 
Thus  it  has  pleased  a  gracious  Providence  to  tem- 
per the  severities  of  the  climate.     If  the  hot  days 
were   to  continue  long  we  should   sink  at  once. 
When  the  refreshing  winds  fail  us,  the  sultriness 
is  almost  insupportable.     Then  comes  a  storm  that 
cools  the  air.     Then  the  heat  returns.     Then  the 
lull.     Then  again  the  storm  for  several  days  suc- 
cessively.    We  rise  to  go  forth  and  inhale  the  cool 
of  the  morning  and  rejoice.     About  June  comes 
the  rainy  season  for  two  months.     This  refreshes 
us.     From  the  middle  of  August  to  the  middle  of 
October  the  clouds  having  poured  forth  their  con- 
tents, the  country  is  soaked.     The  winter  having 
.  left  us,  the  heat  of  the  sun  draws  forth  the  mois- 
ture, and  we  live  almost  in  a  hot  bath.     All  nature 
seems  to  droop — man,  beast,  and  vegetable  sym- 
pathize with  each  other.     Were  this  season  to  be 
prolonged,  few  could  endure  it.    About  the  middle 


192  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

of  October  we  have  sharp  mornings  and  bracing 
airs.     Thus  the  years  go  round  ! 

During  the  period  he  speaks  of  as  so  trying, 
he  began  to  droop  so  much,  that  he  was  com- 
pelled to  suspend  his  ministerial  duties  for  six 
weeks,  and  betake  himself  to  a  pinnace  on 
the  river.  Under  this  attack,  or  rather  when 
recovering  from  it,  on  the  still  bosom  of  the  river 
he  communed  closely  with  his  own  heart,  and 
often  did  he  lift  an  eye  strong  in  faith  and  glisten- 
ing in  penitence,  towards  his  Redeemer. 

Dating  his  letter  Chinsurah,  October  1,  1810, 
he  writes—'  We  are  thirty  miles  up  the  river :  this 
change  has  been  rendered  necessary  by  the  state 
of  my  health,  which  began  to  suffer  during  the 
last  rainy  season.  I  have  spent  a  month  on  the 
water.  1  went  to  the  mouth  of  the  river  for  sea 
air,  and  then  proceeded  up  the  river.  Through 
the  great  mercy  of  God  this  has  been  very  useful. 
God  only  knows  what  is  to  be  the  end  of  all  our 
attacks,  and  what  the  term  of  our  lives.  To  be 
in  his  hands  who  has  the  keys  of  death  and  hell  is 
an  unspeakable  privilege.  1  feel  it  to  be  so,  and 
rejoice.  The  climate  has  begun  evidently  to  affect 
me,  and  it  will  be  necessary  for  me  to  contract  my 
exertions  of  body  and  mind.  The  constant  em- 
ployment of  mind  in  this  country  is  unfavourable 
to  health  and  even  dangerous.  Before  1  was  laid 
by,  I   began  to  visit  the  hospital  once   a   week, 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  193 

from  which  little  labour  some  good  has  sprung 
up.  But  we  are  all  in  a  low  state,  our  proceed- 
ings are  slow  and  infantine.  The  reflections  which 
have  passed  in  my  mind  during  my  excursion  on 
the  water  have  been  rather  of  a  discouraging  na- 
ture. Yet  though  discouraging — the  discovery  of 
the  truth  painful  as  it  is  at  the  time,  may  be  an 
unspeakable  blessing.  Who  knows  but  that  the 
discovery  of  my  own  barrenness  and  manifold 
neglects  by  the  blessing  of  God  may  lead  to  more 
enlarged  usefulness  in  his  church.  I  have  lately 
had  much  to  think  of,  much  to  mourn  over,  much 
to  pray  for,  and  much,  very  much,  to  be  thankful 
for.  And  now  with  renewed  strength  of  body  I 
would  fain  take  up  my  charge  again  in  a  new 
spirit. 

*  We  are  become  weaned  from  all  Europe  expec- 
tations. The  losses  by  capture  and  shipwreck  of 
late  have  made  the  heart  sick.  You  cannot  con- 
ceive the  general  mourning  that  has  been  produced 
amongst  us.  It  has  been  dangerous  to  mention 
the  missing  ships  in  company,  lest  the  heart  of 
some  bereaved  parent  or  husband  should  be  made 
sad. 

*  After  being  laid  low  from  official  engagements 
for  six  weeks,  it  was  not  without  the  greatest 
emotion  I  resumed  my  labours.  It  has  pleased 
God  to  teach  me  something  by  shipwreck,  but  he 
has  taught  me  more   by  bodily  affliction.     The 

17 


194  ME3I0IR    OF    THE 

danger  and  alarm  then  was  temporary,  but  illness 
gives  many  opportunities  of  serious  reflection.  I 
have  had  long  seasons  of  pain  and  depression, 
which  have  I  trust,  through  the  mercy  of  God, 
been  sanctified  to  my  soul.  I  have  seen  much  of 
the  unbelief,  pride,  impatience,  and  dishonesty  of 
my  heart.  Here  I  am  beginning  my  work  as  it 
were  again,  and  I  pray  God  to  enable  me  by  his 
good  spirit  to  press  forward  toward  the  mark  of 
the  prize  of  my  high  calling. 

'  We  have  never  yet  seen  Mr.  Marty n,  but  hope 
to  be  gratified  in  the  course  of  a  few  months.  He 
has  at  length  determined  to  try  the  sea  air.  He 
has  been  brought  very  low.' 

The  meeting  which  Mr.  Tho mason  had  so  long 
and  ardently  desired,  as  Mr.  Martyn's  health 
declined  rapidly,  took  place  sooner  than  was 
expected.  At  the  time  Mr.  Thomason  was  seek- 
ing restoration  of  strength  from  the  breezes  on  the 
Hooghly,  Mr.  Martyn  was  committing  himself  to 
the  Ganges  on  his  voyage  to  Calcutta.  November 
the  3d  Mrs.  Thomason  writes — '  Dear,  dear  Martyn 
arrived,  and  we  had  the  unspeakable  delight  of 
seeing  his  face.  The  agitation  I  felt  during  the 
whole  morning  was  such  as  I  never  experienced 
in  India.  Joy  and  sorrow  alternately.  Joy  to 
see  him,  sorrow  for  the  occasion.  In  three  or  four 
weeks  he  leaves  us  to  go  to  sea  for  his  health.  He 
is  much  altered,  is  thin  and  sallow,  but  he  has  the 


REV.    THOBIAS    THOMASON.  195 

same  loving  heart.      No  tongue  can  tell  w^hat  a 
refreshment  the  sight  of  him  has  been   to  us.     I 
should  be  thankful  to  be  his   nurse  if  he  would 
remain  with   us ;  but  one  would  wish  him  to  try 
every  means,  hoping  that  God   may  yet  spare  him 
for  a  few  years. — Martyn  and  I  are  both  writing 
under  the  same  roof.'     Her  husband  adds,  address- 
ing Mr.   Simeon,    'This  bright   and  lovely  jewel 
first  gratified  our  eyes  on  Saturday  last.     He  is  on 
his  way  to  Arabia  in  pursuit  of  health  and  know- 
ledge.    You  know  his  genius,  and  what  gigantic 
strides   he  takes  in  every  thing.      He  has  some 
great  plan  in  his  mind,  of  which  I  am  no  compe- 
tent judge.     But  as  far  as  I  do  understand,  the 
object  is  far  too  grand  for  our  short  life,  and  much 
beyond  his  feeble  and  exhausted  frame.     Feeble 
indeed  it  is !    how  fallen  and  changed  !    his  com- 
plaint lies  in  the  lungs,  and  appears  to  be  incipient 
consumption.      But  let  us  hope  the  sea  air  will 
revive  him,  and  that  change  of  place  and  pursuit 
may  do  him  essential   service,  and    continue   his 
life  many  years.     In  all  other  respects  he  is  ex- 
actly the  same  as  he  was:   he  shines  in  all  the 
dignity  of  love,  and  seems  to  carry  about  him  such 
a  heavenly  majesty  as  impresses  the  mind  beyond 
all  description.     But  if  he  talks  much,  though  in 
a  low  voice,  he  sinks  and  you  are  reminded  of  his 
being  dust  and  ashes. — It  would  have  filled  your 
eyes  with  tears  to  have  seen  dear when  she 


196  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

saw  him  ;  you  know  her  smile  and  hearty  counte- 
nance, and  eyes  darting  good-nature,  but  you 
never  saw  them  so  called  forth.  We  were  all 
filled  with  joy  unspeakable,  and  blessed  God  for 
the  rich  opportunity  of  loving  intercourse.  I  im- 
mediately put  into  his  hand  your  long  and  affec- 
tionate letter,  in  order  that  you  might  be  of  the 
party.     Martyn  read  it  in  the  corner  of  the  sofa, 

sat  by  him,  and    I  sat   looking  on :   so  the 

letter  was  read  and  the  tears  flowed.' 

Mr.  Martyn's  visit  to  Calcutta  was  as  ointment 
and  perfume  that  rejoiceth  the  heart,  in  the  family 
of  Mr.  Thomason  and  of  Mr.  Brown.  The  Church 
of  God  in  that  city  also,  derived  lasting  benefit 
from  his  residence  amongst  them,  transient  as  it 
was.  His  sermon  on  behalf  of  the  Bible  Society 
was  of  eminent  service.  His  labours  have  revived 
all.  Mr.  Thomason  says,  'Our  assemblies  at 
church  are  greater  than  ever  was  known :  on 
Christmas-day  there  were  above  1200.  The 
hearts  of  many  have  been  made  glad  ;  he  will 
embark  in  a  few  days.'  In  a  few  hours  after  this 
was  written,  Mr.  Martyn  had  sailed  for  Persia, — 
To  spare  the  feelings  of  his  brethren,  as  well  as 
his  own,  he  departed  suddenly  without  bidding 
them  farewell.  As  an  angel  of  love  and  mercy 
he  had  appeared  amongst  them — as  an  angel  he 
may  be  said  to  have  vanished  out  of  their  sight. 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON. 


197 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


The  Calcutta  Bible  Society  which  in  the  previous 
year  had  been  framed  and  prepared,  this  year 
commenced  its  navigation  of  charity.  Well  might 
the  friends  of  Christianity  in  the  east  call  on 
all  that  is  within  them  to  bless  God's  holy 
name,  when  the  first  committee  met  ;  Mr. 
Harrington  the  chief  judge  of  the  native  court, 
being  president  ;  Mr.  Brown,  secretary.  The 
day  of  their  assembling,  the  1st  of  February, 
1811,  was  a  day  far  more  worthy  of  record  than 
any  of  those  which  shine  on  political  considerations 
in  the  annals  of  Indostan. 

*We  begin  to  see  already,'  Mr.  Thomason 
writes  the  following  month,  *  effects  of  the  opera- 
tions of  the  Institution.  An  interest  about  the 
Bible  is  excited — questions  are  asked — remarks 
are  made — misrepresentations  abound,  and  the 
thing  is  discussed — where  all  was  a  dead  calm. 
Men  are  attacked — they  repel  the  blow.  This 
leads  them  to  look  into  the  Bible  and  its  evidences. 
It  is  delightful  to  observe  the   reaction  and  its 

effects.      Could  you  but  spend  one  month  and 

17* 


198  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

examine  the  characters  of  our  committee,  you 
would  adore  the  providence  of  God  who  fashioneth 
all  their  hearts.  You  cannot  conceive  how  tremb- 
lingly alive  we  have  been  during  the  organization 
of  this  good  work — there  was  so  much  to  be 
apprehended  from  the  fears,  indifference,  and 
prejudices  of  men.  Great  and  marvellous  are  the 
works  of  God :  let  us  rejoice  and  be  glad.  It  is 
impossible  to  describe  the  joy  I  feel  in  contem- 
plating the  probable  harvest  of  knowledge,  piety, 
and  happiness  which  will  arise  from  this  institution 
in  this  quarter  of  the  globe.  It  gives  greater 
stability  to  our  proceedings  than  the  most  splendid 
conquests.  Two  other  events  of  an  exhilarating 
character  occurred  not  long  after,  both  connected, 
as  was  the  establishment  of  this  society,  with  the 
name  and  labours  of  H.  Martyn.  Abdool  Messee, 
the  keeper  of  the  jewels  of  the  king  of  Oude,  hav- 
ing listened  to  Mr.  Martyn's  public  Hindoostanee 
preaching  in  the  open  air  at  Caunpore,  had  dis- 
covered the  pearl  of  great  price  ;  and  his  baptism 
took  place  at  Calcutta  on  Whitsunday.  *  Last 
Sunday  was  a  happy  day,'  Mr.  Thomason  wrote 
with  gladness  of  heart,  'and  Mr.  Brown,  bap- 
tised in  my  church  an  adult  Mussulman.  The 
man  had  long  given  satisfactory  evidence  of  his 
conversion.  His  heart  was  first  touched  under 
the  ministry  of  dear  Martyn.  Hearing  that  a 
sermon   was   preached   in  the  Hindoostanee  Ian- 


REV.    THOMAS    TIIOIVIASON.  11)9 

guage,  Shoikt  Sjilfih,  (tfiat  w.-is  fiis  nuriie)  tliought 
he  would  attend.  IIo  wont  and  was  caugiit  in 
the  net.  The  preacher  began  witfi  reproof,  and 
ended  witli  the  eonsolation  of  the  gospel.  The 
holy  strain  of  the  former  part  of  the  discourse 
filled  him  with  solemn  awe,  and  the  gracious 
promises  of  the  latter,  witfi  a  longing  desire  to 
become  ac(juaint(;d  with  Christ.  He  went  away 
serious.  In  reading  over  and  writing  out  the 
Persian  translations  of  the  gospels,  his  under- 
standing became  more  fully  informed,  and  his 
heart  more  toucherl  with  the  truths  of  God.  lie 
chosfi  them,  renouncing  all  his  former  errors,  and 
determined  at  all  everits  to  be  a  servant  of  Jesus. 
Without  any  solicitation  from  others,  he  soon  dis- 
covered that  it  was  necessary  he  should  be 
baptised,  and  accordingly  made  application  to 
Martyn.  After  proper  instruction  and  a  full  trials 
at  the  end  of  fifteen  months  from  his  first  hearing 
Martyn,  he  was  baptised.  We  gave  notice  to 
those  who  were  likely  to  be  interested  in  the 
matter,  and  a  goodly  number  were  assembled. 
We  shall  not  soon  forget  the  day.  We  are  full 
of  joy  and  hope.  The  work  has  been  entirely 
of  (iod.  Our  new  brother,  now  called  Abdool 
Mcissce,  the  servant  of  Christ,  is  humble  and 
grave,  and  quiet  in  his  behaviour,  and  there  seems 
every  reason  to  hope  he  will  adorn  his  profession. 
May  such  scenes  become  frequent  amongst  us  !' 


200  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

The  other  cheering  occurrence  was  this  : — Mr. 
Martyn's  Hindoostanee  New  Testament  was  com- 
mitted to  the  press.  Concerning  this  great  work 
Mr.  Thomason  thus  speaks : 

'  The  slip  of  paper  inserted   in    one   of  your 

letters  concerning  an   observation   of   Dr.  , 

on  Martyn's  nicety  of  style,  surprised  me  much. 
It  is  not  like  the  judgment  of  a  scholar  and  critic. 
Would  not  the  Professor  be  ashamed  of  a  false 
concord  or  bad  idiom  in  addressing  the  university  ? 
How  can  we  be  too  attentive  to  these  proprieties  ? 
How  can  we  hope  that  any  translation  of  the 
Scriptures  shall  survive  the  lapse  of  ages,  unless 
the  style  be  carefully  attended  to  ?  Bad  style  is 
like  bad  poetry,  soon  forgotten  or  despised. 
Accuracy  and  elegance  combine  to  form  a  stand- 
ard which  is  itself  a  great  means  of  preserving 
languages  from  decay.  Martyn  is  justified  by  ex- 
perience. He  has  in  his  Hindoostanee  translation 
of  the  New  Testament  finished  a  work  which  will 
last,  for  it  is  a  model  of  elegant  writing  as  well  as 
of  faithful  translation ;  it  is  so  faithful  as  to  repre- 
sent with  scrupulous  accuracy  the  whole  meaning ; 
yet  not  so  elegant,  but  that  any  one  acquainted 
with  the  language,  can  read  it  with  ease.  That 
honoured  and  beloved  labourer  is  now  at  Shiraz, 
busied  about  a  Persian  translation  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament. What  may  we  not  expect  from  him  if  God 
should  be  pleased  to  spare  his  life  a  few  years  V 


REV.    THOMAS  TIIOMASON.  201 

To  crown  this  felicity,  Mr.  Thomason  had  the 
inexpressible  joy  of  seeing  his  ministry  prosper. 
The  vineyard  from  the  first  had  given  a  pleasant 
smell,  and  the  fig-tree  had  put  forth  its  buds; 
fruit  also  was  visible — now  to  the  vivid  satisfaction 
of  the  patient  labourer  it  was  more  abundant.  '  It 
would  fill  your  heart,'  he  tells  Mr.  Simeon,  '  with 
joy  to  see  us  here.  Whatever  reason  we  have  had 
formerly  to  see  the  hand  of  God  in  our  coming  to 
India,  has  been  greatly  increased  of  late.  New 
scenes  of  usefulness  open ;  my  hands  are  now 
quite  full,  and  through  mercy,  I  see  the  gradual 
operation  of  a  gospel  ministry.  Some  persons 
of  late  have  been  brought  to  a  serious  concern  for 
their  souls.  Those  who  were  once  scoflfers,  hear 
and  weep,  and  endeavour  to  promote  the  cause 
they  formerly  despised;  and  our  own  people, 
which  is  a  great  mercy,  and  received  as  an  answer 
to  prayer,  are  more  united  amongst  each  other.' — 
All  this  w^as  the  more  encouraging,  because  no 
one  could  have  a  more  lively  sense  than  Mr. 
Thomason,  of  the  weight  of  his  oflice,  of  the 
arduousness  of  its  execution,  and  of  the  obstacles 
that  beset  a  minister  in  India.  On  these  subjects 
he  again  disclosed  his  sentiments  to  Mr.  Simeon  : 
*  I  feel  the  necessity  of  a  close  and  diligent  reading 
of  the  Scriptures.  It  is  impossible  to  occupy  the 
teacher's  chair  with  advantage  to  our  hearers, 
except  we  are  very  much  engaged  in  experimental 


202 


MEMOIR   OF    THE 


reading  of  the  Scriptures  ourselves.  O  what  trea- 
sures are  to  be  found  in  the  word  of  God.  Blessed 
be  God  for  a  little  sense  of  them  ! — would  that  I 
could  give  my  whole  heart  and  soul  to  them.  But 
I  am  as  yet  only  on  the  surface  of  things ;  this 
at  the  age  of  thirty-seven.  God  knoweth  I  de- 
plore my  ignorance,  and  count  myself  to  be  a  mere 
novice,  and  feel  unspeakably  unworthy  to  preach 
Christ  to  lost  sinners.  I  want  to  have  my  heart 
warmed  with  his  love.  But  oh,  my  exceeding 
vileness  and  hardness  of  heart !  Were  I  not 
assured  of  your  tender  affection,  I  could  not  write 
thus :  at  such  a  distance  we  ought  to  communi- 
cate with  each  other  in  strains  of  grateful  praise 
and  love.  To  which,  with  all  my  unprofitableness, 
I  am  led,  when  I  think  of  the  amazing  riches  of 
his  grace. 

'Now,  my  beloved  brother,  go  on  to  write  to 
me.  I  never  needed  so  much  the  kind  commu- 
nications of  a  Christian  friend  and  brother, — The 
state  of  society  here,  and  the  state  of  the  climate, 
oppose  difficulties  which  you  can  hardly  appre- 
ciate if  described.  The  climate  has  influence 
upon  one's  natural  sloth  in  a  thousand  ways ;  and 
society  is  so  constituted,  that  we  are  opposed  at 
every  step  by  the  pride  of  rank  and  office,  and 
colour,  to  a  degree  surpassing  all  conception. 
Had  I  chosen  to  live  here  in  the  state  and  dignity 
of  chaplain,  my  path  would  have  been  easy,  but 


REV.    THOMAS   THOMASON.  203 

in  the  attempt  at  a  parochial  line  of  labour, 
the  difficulties  are  prodigious.  I  find  my  heart 
sick  sometimes  and  learn  the  drift  of  that 
verse  in  Ecclesiastes,  "  that  which  is  crooked 
cannot  be  made  straight."  In  England,  different 
classes  coalesce  easily:  here,  even  after  religion 
has  its  decided  hold  on  a  man,  he  remembers  his 
little  insulated  sphere,  and  finds  it  hard  to  be 
cordial  with  those  who  are  above  him,  or  with 
those  who  are  beneath  him :  not  with  those  above 
him,  the  pride  of  the  great  produces  a  reaction 
in  the  lower  order;  not  with  those  below  him, 
for  obvious  reasons.  To  relieve  myself  from 
such  painful  inconsistencies,  I  find  the  best 
practical  remedy  is  to  be  much  in  company 
with  the  most  wretched,  the  diseased,  the 
poor,  the  sick  and  dying.  These  are  thankful 
to  hear  the  words  of  life.  I  have  much  comfort 
at  times  with  the  poor  invalid  soldiers  in  the 
hospital.  About  fifty  attend,  and  I  visit  them 
twice,  on  Tuesday  and  Friday  evenings.  With 
respect  to  the  sick — the  miserable  sick  people  in 
this  truly  miserable  place — I  mourn  over  myself 
and  them;  I  go  rather  with  the  hope  of  good 
to  myself  than  to  them.  So  rich  is  the  mercy 
of  God,  and  so  precious  the  service  of  our  master, 
some  of  the  happiest  moments  I  enjoy  are  in  going 
to,  or  returning  from,  these  unhappy  creatures.' 
The  years  1812  and  1813  were  to  Mr.  Thoma- 


204  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

son  years  of  mourning  beyond  experience  or 
expression.  Sorrow  upon  sorrow  rolled  in  on 
him — his  only  consolation  was  to  look  upwards 
through  the  window  in  the  ark,  which  did  not  allow 
his  eye  to  rest  upon  the  swelling  waves.  The 
year  1812  was  ushered  in  by  an  earthquake,  of 
which  he  says,  '  It  was  preceded  by  a  loud  noise, 
the  house  shook ;  the  oil  in  the  lamps  on  the  walls 
was  thrown  out ;  the  birds  made  a  frightful  noise ; 
the  natives  ran  from  their  houses,  calling  on  the 
names  of  their  gods ;  the  sensation  is  most  awful ; 
we  read  the  forty-sixth  psalm.  This  fearful 
prodigy  was  succeeded  by  that  desolating 
disaster,  the  Serampore  fire.  I  could  scarcely 
believe  the  report;  it  was  like  a  blow  on  the 
head  which  stupifies.  I  flew  to  Serampore  to 
witness  the  desolation.  The  scene  was  indeed 
affecting.  The  immense  printing  office,  two 
hundred  feet  long,  and  fifty  broad,  reduced  to  a 
mere  shell.  The  yard  covered  with  burnt  quires 
of  paper,  the  loss  in  which  article  was  immense. 
Carey  walked  with  me  over  the  smoking  ruins. 
The  tears  stood  in  his  eyes.  *  In  one  short  even- 
ing,' said  he,  '  the  labours  of  years  are  consumed. 
How  unsearchable  are  the  ways  of  God  !  I  had 
lately  brought  some  things  to  the  utmost  perfec- 
tion, of  which  they  seemed  capable,  and  con- 
templated the  missionary  establishment  with, 
perhaps,    too     much     self- congratulation.        The 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON,  205 

Lord  has  laid  me  loio,  that  I  may  look  mjore  simply 
to  him^  'Who  could  stand  in  such  a  place,'  he 
asks,  '  at  such  a  time,  with  such  a  man,  without 
feelings  of  sharp  regret,  and  solemn  exercise  of 
mind.  I  saw  the  ground  strewed  with  half- 
consumed  paper,  on  which  in  the  course  of  a 
very  few  months,  the  words  of  life  would  have 
been  printed.  The  metal  under  our  feet  amidst 
the  ruins  was  melted  into  mis-shapen  lumps — the 
sad  remains  of  beautiful  types  consecrated  to  the 
service  of  the  sanctuary.  All  was  smiling  and 
promising  a  few  hours  before — now  all  is  vanished 
into  smoke  and  converted  into  rubbish  !' — adding 
with  self-application, — '  Return  now  to  thy  books, 
regard  God  in  all  thou  doest.  Learn  Arabic  with 
humility.  Let  God  be  exalted  in  all  thy  plans, 
and  purposes,  and  labours ;  he  can  do  without  thee.' 
Another  severe  affliction  was  the  rapidly  de- 
clining health,  and  subsequent  death  of  that 
eminent  servant  of  the  Lord,  Mr.  Brown,  who 
for  the  space  of  seven  and  twenty  years .  had 
preached  the  pure,  unadulterated  gospel  of  his 
Redeemer,  and  had  been  an  ornament,  intellec- 
tually and  spiritually  to  the  Church  of  England. 
He  was  the  father  of  the  Bible  Society  in  India, 
and  to  him  it  was  owing,  that  H.  Martyn,  who 
venerated  and  loved  him,  brought  the  Hindoos- 
tanee  version  to  a  successful  termination.  He 
began  to  sicken  in  the  spring,  and  before  the  hot 
18 


206  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

season  had  expended  its  strength  and  fury,  he 
was  where  the  sun  could  not  light  on  him,  nor 
any  heat,  and  was  led  by  the  Lamb  to  the  living 
fountains  of  waters.  To  Mr.  Thomason  was 
assigned  the  task  of  preaching  his  funeral  ser- 
mon. Concerning  Mr.  Brown's  disinterestedness, 
Mr.  Thomason,  who  from  happy  consciousness 
could  well  estimate  this  attractive  quality,  taking 
his  text  from  John  iv.  35 — 38.  observes,  he 
possessed  a  soul  superior  to  sordid  views — in 
proof  of  this  we  appeal  to  his  labour  in  this 
church.  It  was  well  known  he  undertook  its 
duties  without  any  prospect  of  pecuniary  emolu- 
ment, and  continued  to  preach  Christ  here  during 
the  long  period  of  twenty-four  years,  under  great 
discouragements,  without  the  smallest  remuneration 
for  his  labours,  except  what  arose  from  his  love 
to  the  work,  and  the  hope  of  gathering  fruit  unto 
eternal  life.  So  far  from  being  enriched  by  the 
church,  he  was  ever  forward  in  contributing  to  its 
support.  His  memory  is  blessed.  He  now 
receiveth  his  wages. 

Those  who  are  acquainted  with  Mr.  Brown's 
labours,  have  seen  an  example  of  patient  con- 
tinuance in  well  doing.  He  maintained  his  post 
here,  under  circumstances  that  would  have  dis- 
mayed others  who  possessed  not  the  same  humble 
dependence  upon  God.  The  attendance  at  first 
consisted  of  no  more  than  two  or  three  families ; 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  207 

stiJl  this  faithful  servant  kept  his  course,  and  he 
lived  to  see  much  encouraging  fruit  of  his  labours. 
About  two  months  before  his  decease,  he  wrote 
in  pencil  some  recollections,  which  contain  an 
account  of  the  consolations  he  enjoyed  in  his  low 
estate. — '  March  22.  Prostration  of  strength  to  the 
utmost  degree,  without  the  least  check  to  the 
disease.  I  feel  myself  to  be  sinking  fast.  I  said 
my  times  are  in  thy  hand.  I  ascended  into  the 
chamber  of  the  divine  attributes,  and  had  a  pleasing 
assurance  that  Jehovah  is  good :  that  great  is  the 
Lord,  and  of  great  power,  and  that  his  under- 
standing is  infinite,  and  I  rejoiced  in  his  sove- 
reignty. He  made  me  sensible  that  for  aught  I 
know,  that  very  day  was  the  best  for  my  dissolu- 
tion. I  was  persuaded  that  if  it  were  his  w  ill,  that 
very  day  were  best  in  all  respects,  how  much 
soever  appearances  might  be  contrary :  that  it 
would  be  best  for  my  soul,  whose  dealings  I  could 
commit  to  Christ,  and  even  the  best  for  my  family, 
dark  and  very  stormy  as  the  dispensation  must 
appear  within,  and  awfully  afflictive.  Thus  my 
view  of  God  in  Christ,  delivered  me  from  depres- 
sion of  mind  ;  from  all  fear  that  hath  torment,  and 
from  apprehension  of  evil  of  every  kind,  both  with 
respect  to  mind,  body,  and  estate.  I  could  trust 
all  confidently  with  God.  Nor  was  the  adversary 
permitted  to  assault  me  for  a  moment.  Isa.  lix.  9. 
assures  me  of  mercy  infinite  :  "  as  the  heavens  are 


208  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

higher  than  the  earth,  so  are  my  ways  higher  than 
your  ways,  and  my  thoughts  than  your  thoughts.'* 

My  crimes  are  great,  but  not  surpass, 
The  power  and  glory  of  thy  grace. 
Great  God,  thy  nature  hath  no  bound, 
So  let  thy  pardoning  love  be  found. 

*  The  glory  of  Christ  and  his  kingdom  occupied 
iny  thoughts:  my  heart  prayed,  thy  kingdom 
come.  Thou  art  worthy,  liOrd,  to  receive  all 
glory,  and  honour,  and  power.  Come,  Lord  Jesus, 
come  quickly,  with  power  and  great  glory  ;  come 
to  be  glorified  in  thy  saints,  and  to  be  admired  in 
all  those  that  believe.  Thus  have  I  been  sup- 
ported and  cheered  during  the  whole  period  of  my 
failing  strength.  "  O  give  thanks  unto  the  Lord, 
for  his  mercy  endureth  for  ever." 

'  My  excessive  weakness,  and  subsequent  trials 
commenced  on  Palm  Sunday,  and  continued  all 
the  week.  The  Saviour's  progress  through  the 
week  of  his  passion  was  the  comforting  subject 
of  my  meditations.  I  thought  over  all  the  circum- 
stances of  the  gospel  history  with  thankfulness. 
Every  fact,  and  every  word,  the  work  of  every 
day,  were  precious  to  me,  and  I  kept  my  thoughts 
to  the  business  of  each  day,  particularly  to  the 
transactions  of  Thursday  and  Friday — the  supper 
— the  agony — the  cross.  Precious  are  the  thoughts 
of  these  things.  The  Lord  Jesus  the  Son  of  God, 
died  for  sinners,  that  he  might  take  away  the  sting 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMPSON.  209 

of  death,  and  procure  for  us  the  hope  of  a  joyful 
resurrection.  Easter  day — my  strength  scarcely 
returned  ;  my  heart  rejoiced  in  him  who  is  the 
resurrection  and  the  life.  My  only  prayer  was, 
that  I  might  see  his  glory,  and  speak  of  him,  and 
that  he  w  ould  glorify  himself  in  me,  in  my  soul 
and  body,  living  and  dying.  March  30.  Easter 
Monday — I  was  asked  if  I  could  hear  good  news, 
and  was  told  of  the  formation  of  a  Bible  Society 
in  Ceylon.  I  could  not  refrain  from  tears  of  joy. 
I  called  for  the  Hebrev/  Psalter,  and  heard  the 
103d  Psalm  deliberately  read  over.  Then  I 
turned  back  to  the  20th  verse.      "  Bless  the  Lord, 

0  ye  angels  of  his  that  excel  in  strength."      This 

1  repeated  the  whole  day,  calling  on  the  angels 
who  excel  in  strength,  for  as  yet  I  had  little  or 
none  to  praise  Jehovah. 

'  The  Hebrew  Psalter  has  been  very  precious 
to  me.  The  130th  w^as  deeply  interesting,  above 
all  the  penitential  psalms.  I  paused  at  the 
8th  verse  of  the  143d  Psalm.  1  found  there 
what  I  wanted  ;  there  I  fixed  and  fastened,  and 
greatly  blessed  and  answered  were  the  words 
which  the  Lord  the  spirit  enabled  me  to  reiterate 
in  the  ears  of  my  Advocate  with  the  Father. 
Cause  me  to  know  the  way  wherein  I  should 
walk,  for  1  lift  up  my  soul  to  thee.  My  prayer 
through  the  whole  of  my  sickness  has  been,  that 
if  my  life  be  spared  a  little  longer,  it  might  be 
18* 


210 


MEMOIR    OF    THE 


wholly  consecrated  and  devoted  to  the  glor\'  of 
God :  but  I  know  not  the  way,  and  could  promise 
nothing  of  myself,  but  only  in  the  strength  and 
grace  of  Christ.  I  discovered  the  way  in  which, 
if  God  enabled  me  to  walk,  then  will  my  prayer 
be  answered.  Psalms  xxxvii.  31.  "  The  law  of 
his  God  is  in  his  heart,  none  of  his  steps  shall 
slide."  This  I  perceive  to  be  the  only  infallible 
rule  for  safe  and  sure  walking.  The  law  of  holi- 
ness in  the  heart :  the  law  written  in  the  heart  by 
the  Spirit  of  the  Lord.  All  must  be  a  heavenly 
gift,  coming  down  from  the  Father  of  mercies. 
I  have  said  nothing  about  the  comfort  some  pro- 
fess to  derive  from  the  reflection  of  their  having 
done  well.  God  has  not  put  it  into  my  mouth  to 
say  Here  am  I,  a  profitable  servant,  worthy  of 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  ;  but  to  cry,  "  God  be 
merciful  to  me,  a  sinner."  When,  Lord,  have  we 
come  up  to  our  duties ;  loved  thee  as  thou 
requirest ;  sened  thee  as  w^e  ought,  or  done  any 
thing  worthy  of  thy  notice  or  reward  ?  * 

In  an  address  to  one  of  his  people,  twelve 
years  ago  is  the  following  record — '  Upon  a  care- 
ful review  of  the  doctrines  I  have  taught  from  the 
pulpit,  I  find  them  to  agree  with  Scripture  and 
experience,  and  1  have  no  doubt  of  their  truth. 
They  are  as  the  sun  before  me,  and  it  is  all 
my  desire  to  live  and  die  with  them.  Thougii  I 
speak  of  doctrines,  there  is  but  one  doctrine,  out 


REV.    THOMAS    TIIOMASOX.  211 

of  which  all  the  rest  arise.  I  know  nothing  but 
Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified.  JTc  is  the  foun- 
dation, the  corner  stone,  the  way,  the  truth,  the 
life,  the  hope,  the  refuge,  the  bread  of  life,  the 
consolation  of  Israel.  O  sweet  name  of  Jesus  ! 
says  8t.  Bernard,  it  is  honey  in  the  mouth, 
melody  in  the  ears,  and  healing  to  the  heart. 
This  doctrine  can  only  be  learnt  by  experience, 
and  all  our  experience  can  only  teach  us  this 
doctrine ;  all  within  us  and  without  us  is  folly, 
and  vanity,  and  death.  Sin  has  poisoned  every 
enjoyment.  By  reason  of  the  curse,  the  whole 
world  has  become  a  desert  and  void,  in  which 
the  soul  is  prone  to  seek  rest,  and  can  find  none. 
Sin  has  defiled  the  image  of  Cod,  and  opened  the 
door  of  the  temple  to  every  aliomination.  What 
can  support  us  under  these  views,  but  Jesus 
Christ  crucified  ?  Here  is  wrath  turned  to  grace. 
The  world  wears  a  new  face ;  all  things  which 
were  against  us,  become  for  us,  working  together 
for  our  good.  The  ills  and  the  comforts  of  life, 
all  turn  to  lasting  advantage.  A  weight  of  glory 
is  the  fruit  of  every  affliction,  all  is  ours  if  we 
are  Christ's.' 

Mr.  Brown  had  not  long  entered  into  his  rest, 
when  another  affliction  which  had  been  suspended 
unseen,  like  tempestuous  clouds  at  midnight, 
throughout  the  close  of  the  year  1812,  burst,  in  the 
early  part  of  the  succeeding  year,  upon  the  Indian 


212  MEMOIR   OP   THE 

church.  At  Tocat,  October  16,  1812,  Henry 
Mnrtyn  expired,  amidst  strangers  to  his  faith  and 
to  his  name.  The  tidings  of  this  event  so  unex- 
pected, so  irreparable,  so  affecting  in  itself,  in  its 
circumstances,  and  its  consequences,  saddened  the 
spirits  of  numbers  in  Calcutta,  amongst  whom  Mr. 
Thomason  might  be  described  as  the  chief  and 
niost  heart-stricken  mourner.  A  greater  grief  on 
personal  and  general  considerations  he  could  not 
have  endured.  He  knew  w^ell  that  when  Heniy 
Martyn  sunk  into  his  gra  ,  a  great  man  had  fallen 
in  Israel.  He  felt  keenly  that  the  head  of  an  en- 
deared friend  and  brother  was  then  low  in  the  dust. 
*  Few,'  he  justly  and  emphatically  exclaimed,  '  have 
reason  to  mourn  individually  as  I  have :  with  him 
I  hoped  to  spend  my  days  in  mutual  deliberation 
and  united  labour.  Here  in  a  short  time  he  would 
have  been  fixed,  and  hence  w^e  neither  of  us  would 
have  wished  to  stir  a  foot.  He  has  often  said  it 
to  me.  I  fondly  counted  on  his  return  full  fraught 
with  health  and  Arabic.  On  this  his  heart  was 
set,  though  not  for  itself  It  has  pleased  God  to 
remove  him  to  the  rest  for  which  he  had  been 
panting,  and  from  which  nothing  but  the  love  of 
his  work  here  would  willingly  have  detained  him. 
With  his  presence  in  Calcutta,  the  Persian  and 
Arabic  versions  would  have  proceeded  with  spirit ; 
he  was  so  eminently  qualified  with  all  needful 
endowments   for  a  good   translator.      The   great 


REV.   THOMAS    THOMASON.  S13 

Head  of  the  church  lives,  that  is  our  consolation. 
I  have  learnt  more  than  ever  what  that  Scripture 
means,  "Crease  ye  from  man,  whose  breath  is  in 
his  nostrils." ' 

*We  are  deeply  wounded,'  are  his  words  in 
another  letter  ;  '  His  walk  was  so  grand,  his  labours 
so  important,  his  attainments  so  rare  !  O  how 
fondly  we  counted  upon  his  future  labours !  hovr 
the  heart  leaped  for  joy  at  the  thought  of  Martyn's 
successful  career  in  Persia,  and  hoped-for  return 
to  Calcutta.  Here  he  hoped  to  return  and  spend 
his  days,  having  often  said  to  us  there  was  no  spot 
in  the  world  so  dear  to  him  as  Calcutta  ;  we  res- 
gponded  with  affection  to  his  notes  of  love,  and 
panted  with  eager  desire  to  see  him.  Often  have 
our  petitions  been  offered  up  at  our  social  meet- 
ings for  his  preservation  and  success.  Once  espe- 
cially the  conversation  at  table  was  wholly 
engrossed  with  Martyn,  and  the  prayers  which 
followed  were  unusually  fervent.  The  very  nett 
day  we  heard  of  the  termination  of  his  career. 

'  You  can  judge  ( t  was  a  letter  to  Mr.  Simeon) 
of  the  extent  of  my  disappointment  and  depth  of 
my  sorrow.  Here  I  had  hoped  to  spend  the 
remainder  of  my  days  with  that  honoured  minister, 
participating  his  labours,  administering  to  his 
comforts,  and  roused  by  his  example.  But  it  has 
pleased  the  great  Head  of  the  church  to  take  him 
to  himself— it  hath   pleased    Him,  and   dare  we 


214  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

repine  ?  No  event  within  my  recollection  has  filled 
me  with  so  much  sorrow,  and  caused  so  hard  a 
conflict  between  faith  and  unbelief,  from  which 
I  have  learnt  much  of  the  idolatry  of  the  heart, 
and  of  its  rebellious  opposition  to  the  will 
of  God.  We  idolized  this  rare  creature :  so  the 
Lord  has  removed  him,  and  taught  us  more  simple 
dependence  upon  himself.  The  experience  has 
been  bitter,  the  ultimate  fruit  I  hope  will  be  sweet 
Our  great  Head  remains,  and  He  shall  see  of  the 
travail  of  His  soul  and  be  satisfied.  If  He  is  satis- 
fied we  may  well  be  so  ;  who  knows  how  He  may 
bless  us  in  our  bereaved  state  ? 

*  Where  are  all  those  zealous  young  men  who 
assembled  in  your  Town  Hall  and  helped  forward 
your  Biblical  Associations?  O  that  they  would 
take  the  map  of  India  in  their  hands..  O  that  the 
Lord  would  dispose  their  hearts  to  look  upon  this 
immense  country  with  Christian  tenderness  and 
compassion. — The  labourers  must  be  disposed 
to  cheerfulness — a  melancholy  turn  of  mind  is 
highly  unfavourable  in  India.  The  climate  itself 
depresses  more  than  you  can  conceive.  In  all 
your  estimates  of  characters  let  cheerfulness  be 
considered  an  essential  requisite. 

*  The  Government  have  of  late  been  remarkably 
strict  in  lookincp  after  missionaries.  The  result  of 
a  long  correspondence  has  been,  the  dismissing  of 
some  from  the  country ;  and  this  in  the  age  of  tole- 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  215 

ranee  !  At  an  enormous  expense  these  good  people 
are  going  home,  whose  resources  are  all  drawn 
from  the  pockets  of  the  poor.' 

Mr.  Thomason's  veneration  as  well  as  affection 
for  Mr.  Martyn  was  exalted,  and  was  equalled  only 
by  the  low  opinion  his  humility  led  him  to  enter- 
tain of  himself.  On  hearing  shortly  before  his 
friend's  decease  that  their  two  names  had  been 
joined  at  a  public  meeting  in  England,  he  thus 
expressed  himself.  '  A  few  days  ago  I  was  favoured 
with  the  sight  of  a  London  paper,  which  gave  an 
account  of  the  8th  anniversary  of  the  Bible  Society. 
It  was  impossible  to  express  what  I  felt  on  this 
occasion.  Joy,  thankfulness,  wonder,  praise — the 
heart  labours — all  words  are  weak  to  convey  the 
effects  of  these  good  tidings  in  this  distant  land. 
One  thing  only  I  do  truly  lament,  that  my  name 
should  have  been  coupled  with  Martyn's  in  Mr. 
Simeon's  speech.  It  was  a  very  unbecoming  union 
of  names.  Pray  let  all  who  love  me  be  silent. 
My  desire  is  that  they  would  not  mention  my 
name.  Why  may  I  not  be  gratified  ?  I  have  no 
right  to  be  mentioned  with  that  honoured  servant 
of  God.  I  am  ashamed  to  think  of  it,  and  scarcely 
know  how  to  lift  up  my  head.  God  be  merciful 
to  me,  and  give  me  a  heart  for  His  work.  O  that 
my  soul  could  rise  up  to  meet  the  occasion,  and 
that  there  were  some  little  correspondence  between 
my  diligence  and  the  need  there  is  for  diligence.' 


'216  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

From  the  period  of  Mr.  Brown's  lamented 
departure  in  1812,  till  the  close  of  the  succeeding 
year,  when  Mr.  Thomason  obtained,  after  count- 
less difficulties,  an  assistant  in  his  church,  his 
labours  were  unusually  great.  Pastoral  concerns, 
his  prime  and  most  pleasant  employment,  were 
prosecuted  assiduously;  from  these,  nothing  was 
suffered  to  divert  him,  but  unhappily  there  was  no 
one  to  share  the  burden.  Besides  these  duties  he 
was  engaged  in  revising  the  Arabic  version  of  the 
scriptures,  with  Sabat,  and  in  conducting  through 
the  press  H.  Martyn's  Hindoostanee  New  Testa- 
ment. He  executed  also,  at  the  desire  of  the 
government,  the  office  of  Examiner  in  Arabic,  in 
the  college  at  Fort  William  ;  and  as  if  this  were 
not  enough,  he  was  preparing  futher  work  for  him- 
self by  inviting  the  Church  Missionary  Society  to 
place  two  missionaries  in  his  house,  whom  he 
undertook  to  instruct  gratuitously  in  oriental  litera- 
ture. But  the  project,  that,  of  all  others,  lay 
nearest  his  heart,  was  the  establishment  of  native 
schools ;  and,  as  a  preparatory  step,  a  school  for 
schoolmasters.  Earnestly  intent  as  he  was  upon 
the  advancement  of  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  in 
India,  it  will  readily  be  supposed  that  amongst 
those  who  were  wounded  at  the  measure  dealt  out 
to  those  eminent  servants  of  Christ,  the  American 
missionaries,  Messrs.  Judson  and  Newell,  by  our 
East  Indian  government  at  the  end  of  1812,  no  one 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  217 

was  more  deeply  affected  than  Mr.  Thomason. 
Calm  and  placid,  and  almost  imperturbable  in 
his  temper — to  see  those  men  of  God  peremptorily 
dismissed  from  a  land  of  idolatry,  blindness,  and 
pollution,  was  to  him  a  trial  of  patience  inexpres- 
sibly severe.  They  had  turned  their  backs  upon 
their  native  country,  they  had  passed  through 
many  a  peril,  and  endured  many  a  pang,  to 
impart  the  gospel  to  our  beniglited  fellow-sub- 
jects; but  after  a  short  residence  in  India,  and 
after  a  conduct  against  which  nothing  could  be 
excepted,  they  were  summarily  ordered  to  depart. 
Whilst  the  priests  of  the  foul  and  debasing  rites 
of  Juggernaut  were  countenanced,  the  revenue 
being  increased  by  their  abominations,  these  self- 
denying,  devoted  servants  of  the  Redeemer,  were 
driven  from  those  shores  to  which  love  alone, 
of  the  most  exalted  order  and  of  the  purest 
description,  had  brought  them.  Not  long,  how- 
ever, after  the  shameful  dismission  of  these 
Christian  ministers,  the  friends  of  true  religion 
in  England,  to  the  unspeakable  joy  of  Mr. 
Thomason,  and  of  all  others  of  the  same  spirit  in 
the  east,  rose  up  as  one  man  to  claim  permission 
of  the  government  to  make  known  the  Saviour's 
name  in  those  dark  and  neglected  territories. 
On  the  renewal  of  the  East  India  Company's 
charter,  the  tables  of  the  two  Houses  of  Parlia- 
ment were  loaded  with  petitions  to  that  effect. 
19 


218 


MEMOIR    OF    THE 


Testimonies  also  were  given  at  the  bar  of  the 
House  of  Commons  most  favourable  to  the 
petitioners.  On  the  opposite  side,  ideal  phantas- 
magoric figures,  were  exhibited  to  alarm  and 
deter;  but  these  disappeared  gradually  as  the 
light  was  let  in  on  that  darkened  part  of  the  stage. 
Lord  Teignmouth,  formerly  governor-general  of 
India,  stood  forth,  an  able  and  most  powerful 
witness  for  India,  showing  on  the  one  hand 
England's  incontestable  obligations,  and  on  the 
other,  the  security  in  which  they  might  be 
fulfilled.  The  Marquis  of  Wellesley  also  in  the 
House  of  Lords,  advocated  all  prudent  attempts 
to  promote  Christianity  in  the  east.  His  speech 
was  calculated  to  convince  all  who  were  not 
steeled  against  conviction.  '  With  regard  to 
missionaries,  he  never  knew  of  any  danger  arising 
from  them  ;  he  never  heard  of  any  convulsions  or 
alarms  produced  by  them.  Some  of  them  were 
learned  men,  and  were  employed  in  the  college  of 
Bengal.  He  had  always  considered  them  as  a 
quiet,  discreet,  and  learned  body;  and  he  had 
employed  them  in  the  education  of  youth,  and 
translations  ;  more  particularly  in  translating  the 
Scriptures  into  the  eastern  languages.' 

Of  the  plan  of  native  schoolmasters,  Mr.  Thom- 
ason  says  with  warmth  and  energy,  but  with  the 
coolness  of  considerate  wisdom,  *  This  school 
would  be   a  noble  establishment.      I  despair   of 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  219 

seeing  any  great  good  done  in  a  place  where  the 
objects  of  ignorance  and  vice  are  innunnerable, 
until  some  such  institution  has  been  formed.  But 
I  fear  it  would  not  suit  the  adventurous  and  grand 
and  dashing  spirit  of  the  age.  The  good  people 
of  England  would  suppose  that  a  free  school 
containing  1000  children,  must  be  tenfold  more 
productive  than  one  containing  24  children,  not 
considering  the  great  importance  of  having  one 
schoolmaster,  they  would  suppose  the  money 
almost  wasted.  Schoolmasters  must  be  made 
here,  not  in  England.  Those  in  England  expect 
more  pay,  and  can  bear  less  fatigue,  and  must  be 
formed  here  after  their  arrival.  Much  is  to  be 
learned  before  they  can  labour  here  efficiently. 
The  thing  to  be  most  earnestly  prayed  for  is,  that 
government  would  support  this  establishment.  It 
would  be  a  noble  item  of  expenditure.  The 
benefit  would  be  distant,  at  present  scarcely  per- 
ceptible, but  future  generations  would  arise  and 
call  us  blessed.  This  plan  has  been  long  in  my 
mind.  It  is  far  from  being  new,  but  in  this  place 
the  application  of  it  to  practice  is  very  difficult, 
arising  partly  from  localities  which  it  is  not 
easy  to  explain  to  an  European,  and  partly  from 
the  indolent  spirit  of  the  place,  and  partly 
from  the  great  paucity  of  efficient  labourers. 
The  Lord  reigneth,  let  the  earth  rejoice ;  sure 
we  are,  that  good  that  is  done   upon  earth,  he 


220  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

doeth  it,  and  when   he   acts,  none  can   stay  his 
hand; 

Mr.  Thomason's  feelings,  which  had  been  so 
much  hurt  on  account  of  the  usage  of  the  Amer- 
ican missionaries,  were  soothed  by  a  vote  of  the 
government  in  the  year  1813,  of  a  kind  quite  new 
in  India,  and  supplying  an  auspicious  omen  of  a 
policy  congenial  with  the  character  of  a  nation 
professedly  Christian.  Thirteen  of  the  most 
respectable  people  in  Calcutta,  signed  a  public 
address  to  government,  petitioning  for  the  Bible 
in  behalf  of  the  Malays.  '  Thanks  be  to  God,'  he 
exclaimed,  *for  this  great  thing,  great  and  novel 
in  India:  whatever  you  may  all  feel  about  this 
matter,  who  are  surrounded  on  all  sides  with 
Tigorous  societies,  and  zealous  combinations  of 
Christians.  The  government  in  reply,  acknow- 
ledged that  the  thing  was  laudable  and  important, 
and  promised  10,000  Rupees,  about  £1250,  in 
aid  of  the  printing  an  edition  of  the  Malay  Bible. 
To  be  very  earnest  on  spiritual  subjects,  and  to 
wait  patiently,  is  no  common  attainment.  In  the 
genuine  spirit  of  humiliation,  Mr.  Thomason, 
seeing  at  present  but  little  good  effected  amongst 
the  heathen  in  Calcutta,  whilst  he  continued 
praying  for  that  city,  reverted  often  for  con- 
solation to  Agra.  There,  together  with  Abdool 
Messee's  exertions,  his  friend  and  brother  Mr. 
Corrie's  efforts  were  stamped  with  marked  success. 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  221 

Concerning  Mr.  Corrie  and  his  labours  he  uses 
these  terms :  '  He  wins  all  hearts,  European  as 
well  as  native.  My  soul  greatly  rejoiceth  in  the 
good  that  is  doing  there,  and  when  I  look  around 
and  see  the  comparatively  barren  fields  of  Calcutta, 
I  rejoice  in  the  waving  crops  of  Agra.  You  have 
scarcely  an  idea  of  his  valuable  qualities  and 
fitness  for  Indian  labour.  He  is  patient,  humble, 
mild,  full  of  love,  always  alive  to  his  work,  apt 
to  teach,  ever  on  the  look  out,  richly  furnished 
with  argument  and  exhortation  and  holy  unction. 
Having  seen  much  of  him  lately,  now  he  is  at  a 
distance,  the  remembrance  of  him  is  sweet.  His 
very  image  does  me  good.  Abdool  is  another 
Corrie,  with  a  prodigious  store  of  eloquence  and 
practical  wisdom.' 

The  appearance  of  a  new  Governor  General  in 
India  has  a  sensible  effect  upon  the  still  surface  of 
an  Indian  life.  Nor  is  the  excitement  it  occasions 
of  short  continuance  ;  it  requires  time  before  things 
can  subside  into  their  ordinary  quiescence.  Like 
steel  filings  when  the  magnet  is  introduced,  at  such 
a  moment  all  is  motion  and  attraction ;  multitudes 
are  considering  the  aspect  it  may  have  on  their 
own  private  interests;  others  are  enquiring,  their 
affections  being  set  on  things  above,  what  will  be 
its  bearing  on  questions  of  everlasting  moment. 
In  the  middle  of  October,  1813,  the  Earl  of  Moira 
arrived  at  Fort  William;  and  whilst  the  guns 
19* 


222  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

were  announcing  that,  he  was  in  the  midst  of  those 
he  was  to  govern,  Mr.  Thomason  with  many  other 
Christians  was  revolving  whether  a  revocation 
might  be  obtained  of  that  cruel  edict  which  had 
expelled  some  missionaries,  and  had  driven 
others  to  the  outskirts  of  the  empire.  *  Our  new 
Governor  General,'  'Mr.  Thomason  says,  'is 
arrived.  Hope  is  revived.  His  language  will 
not  I  hope  be  altered  by  the  climate  of  India. 
He  comes  with  noble  intentions  and  great  prom- 
ises. What  he  will  do  cannot  be  conjectured — 
but  he  is  about  to  be  put  to  a  hard  trial.  The 
late  Governor  having  peremptorily  ordered  all  the 
missionaries  away  who  came  from  America,  they 
went  to  Bombay.  There  a  government  order  fol- 
lowed them,  commanding  Sir  Evan  Nepean  to  send 
them  off  by  the  first  opportunity.  Sir  Evan  is 
their  friend,  but  cannot  resist  authority.  Mr. 
XJdney,  Dr.  Carey,  and  myself,  are  about  to  pre- 
pare a  memorial  to  the  new  government  on  the 
subject,  entreating  permission  for  the  missionaries 
to  reside  quietly  in  the  country.  We  should  not 
have  chosen  so  early  and  strong  a  test  of  Lord 
Moira's  principles,  if  we  had  been  left  to  our  own 
judgment.  But  the  ship  in  which  the  dear  mission- 
aries are  ordered  away  is  on  the  point  of  sailing. 
If  speedy  exertion  be  not  made,  they  will  be  gone. 
May  it  please  God  to  touch  the  heart  of  the 
Governor  General  and  incline  him  to  comply  with 


REV.    THOMAS    TIIOMASON.  2*23 

our  request  !  They  are  good  men,  full  of  zeal,  ripe 
for  usefulness — the  harvest  great.  The  expense 
of  their  journeying  already  is  enormous — what  a 
reproach  that  a  Christian  government  should  turn 
them  back,  and  sport  with  the  best  interests  of  its 
subjects  ! 

Ineffectual  was  this  earnest  appeal  of  Christian 
brethren.  Messrs.  Nott  and  Hall  were  compelled 
to  leave  India,  and  whilst  withdrawing  from  a 
land  which  was  not  worthy  of  them,  they  put 
forth  this  vindication  of  their  characters  and 
principles.     It  was  addressed  to  Sir  Evan  Nepean. 

"  We  looked  upon  the  heathen — and  alas ! 
though  so  many  had  passed  away,  three-fourths  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  globe  had  not  been  told 
that  Jesus  "  had  tasted  death  for  every  man." 
We  saw  them  following  their  fathers  in  successive 
millions  to  eternal  death.  The  view  was  over- 
whelming— the  convictions  of  our  own  duty  were 
as  clear  as  noon — and  our  desire  was  ardent  to 
bear  to  the  dying  heathen,  the  glad  tidings 
of  great  joy.  Affected  and  convinced  as  we 
were — though  fastened  to  our  country  by  the 
strongest  ties ;  though  we  had  aged  parents  to 
comfort,  and  beloved  friends  to  enjoy  ;  though 
urged  by  affectionate  congregations  to  stay  and 
preach  the  gospel  to  them — we  were  compelled 
to  leave  all,  and  come  to  this  land  with  the 
prospect  of  no  temporal  advantage,  but  with  the 


224  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

prospect,  nay  certainty,  of  much  temporal  loss 
and  even  suffering,  should  our  lot  be  cast  under 
a  heathen  government.  We  were  determined  to 
deliver  our  message,  at  the  hazard  of  every  per- 
sonal convenience  of  suffering,  trusting  in  God, 
who  guides  the  ways  of  all  men,  and  willing  to 
abide  his  allotments. 

"  Confident  as  we  are  of  none  other  but  the  best 
intentions,  we  most  earnestly  hope,  and  anxiously 
desire  and  pray,  that  the  time  may  not  be  distant, 
when  we  shall  be  freed  from  the  painful  duty 
of  vindicating  ourselves,  and  then  shall  enter 
with  joy  and  thanksgiving  upon  that  work  for 
which  we  are  already  strangers  and  pilgrims,  and 
have  no  certain  dwelling-place ;  but  the  matter 
rests  with  God  :  on  him  we  will  endeavour  quietly 
and  patiently  to  wait ;  to  him  we  will  look  to 
bear  us  through  our  present  trials,  to  publish  his 
own  gospel  to  the  dying  heathen,  and  to  honour 
his  dishonoured  Son  among  all  nations.'' 

Mr.  Thomason's  efforts  proving  to  be  without 
avail,  they  left  this  solemn  expostulation  with  the 
Governor  of  Bombay,  not  as  an  individual,  but 
as  the  organ  of  an  authority  in  their  judgment 
at  variance  with  the  injunctions  of  Christ.  It 
was  written  in  the  spirit  of  the  apostles,  who 
'departed  from  the  council;'  and  could  scarcely 
be  read  by  those  in  power,  without  raising  the 
thrilling  emotions  of  admiration,  regret,  and  shame. 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  225 

"We  would  solemnly  appeal  to  your  Excel- 
lency's conscience,  and  ask,  Does  not  your 
Excellency  believe  that  it  is  the  v^ill  of  Christ, 
that  his  gospel  should  be  preached  to  these 
heathens?  Do  you  not  believe  that  we  have 
given  a  credible  testimony  that  we  are  ministers 
of  Christ,  and  have  come  to  this  country  to  preach 
His  gospel  Would  not  prohibiting  us  from 
preaching  here  be  a  known  resistance  to  his  will  1 
Can  you  justify  such  an  exercise  of  your  power 
to  your  God  and  final  Judge  ? 

"It  is  our  ardent  wish  that  your  Excellency 
would  compare  most,  seriously  such  an  exercise 
of  civil  authority  with  the  general  spirit  and  tenor 
of  our  Saviour's  commands.  We  most  earnestly 
entreat  you  not  to  send  us  away  from  these 
heathens.  We  entreat  you  by  the  time  and  money 
already  expended  on  our  mission ;  by  the  Chris- 
tian hopes  and  prayers  attending  it,  we  entreat 
you  by  the  spiritual  misery  of  the  heathen  daily 
perishing  before  your  eyes  ;  we  entreat  you  by 
the  blood  of  Jesus,  which  was  shed  to  redeem 
them ;  as  ministers  of  Him  who  has  all  power  in 
heaven  and  earth,  and  who  with  his  farewell  and 
ascending  voice,  commanded  his  ministers  to  go 
and  teach  all  nations,  we  entreat  you  not  to  pro- 
hibit us  from  teaching  these  heathens.  By  all 
the  principles  of  our  holy  religion  by  which  you 
hope  to  be  saved,  we  entreat  you  not  to  prevent 


226  MEMOIR   OF    THE 

US  from  preaching  the  same  religion  to  these  per- 
ishing idolaters.  By  all  the  solemnities  of  the 
judgment  day,  when  your  Excellency  must  meet 
your  heathen  subjects  before  God's  tribunal,  we 
entreat  you  not  to  hinder  us  from  preaching  to 
them  that  gospel,  which  is  able  to  prepare  them, 
as  well  as  you,  for  that  awful  day." 

Mr.  Thomason's  interference  in  behalf  of  these 
men  of  God,  though  unsuccessful,  was  far  from 
prejudicing  him  in  the  eyes  of  the  Governor 
General.  He  often  attended  the  mission-church, 
notwithstanding  its  unfashionable  character,  and 
appointed  its  minister  to  perform  stated  service  at 
Barrackpoor,  his  own  country  residence ;  he  fixed 
upon  him  also  to  accompany  him  as  chaplain  in  a 
journey  of  state  through  the  provinces ;  and  as  a 
yet  further  proof  of  the  manner  in  which  he  appre- 
ciated his  talents  and  judgment,  he  commissioned 
him  in  the  early  part  of  1814  to  draw  up  and  sub- 
mit to  the  government  a  plan  for  the  education  of 
the  Indian  population.  He  granted  permission 
likewise  to  Mr.  Thomason  to  have  the  labours  of 
his  assistant  made  permanent^  a  measure  which  he 
more  highly  prized  than  any  personal  favour  in 
the  power  of  the  Governor  General  to  grant. 

*  Public  and  private  duties,'  he  WTites,  *  in- 
crease upon  me.  Where  there  is  too  much 
burden,  part  must  be  neglected,  and  very 
much    imperfectly    sustained.      I    see    so    many 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  227 

things  undone,  and  so  many  things  ill-done,  I  am 
continually  sighing  for  help.  Relief  I  trust  is  near. 
This  important  field  of  labour  will  not,  I  hope,  be 
left  unprovided  with  labourers.  It  seems  strange 
that  young  men  have  not  been  more  ready  to  fol- 
low up  the  work  of  God  in  India.  Perhaps  the 
danger  of  the  sea  and  climate  are  overrated.  They 
are  not  so  fordmidable  as  timid  people  consider 
them.  But  even  if  they  were,  when  we  see  them 
continually  encountered  in  the  pursuit  of  honour 
and  wealth,  it  is  somewhat  reproachful  that  pious 
students  of  the  ministry  should  be  deterred.  Last 
Thursday  I  finished  my  lectures  on  St.  John ; — 
I  have  been  four  years  and  a-half  in  going  through 
that  edifying  gospel  ;  and  I  may  add,  with  thank- 
fulness to  the  great  Head  of  the  Church,  not  with- 
out many  cheering  tokens  of  his  presence.  Our 
congregation  on  Thursday  evening  evidently  im- 
proves. On  Sunday  evenings  too  we  are  well 
filled,  in  the  mornings  we  have  a  regular  congre- 
gation. Whilst  the  power  of  religion  is  progressive 
among  Europeans,  it  is  matter  of  great  joy  to  see 
that  the  work  prospers  in  different  parts  of  the 
country.  The  Scriptures  are  in  continual  motion, 
in  different  languages  and  with  increasing  success. 
To  God  be  the  glory.  It  is  surprising  how  all 
domestic  arrangements  on  your  side  of  the  water 
and  ours  dwindle  into  insignificance.  It  seems  a 
matter  of  unspeakable  indifference  whether  our 


228  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

children  are  in  town  or  country,  in  India  or 
in  England,  or  what  becomes  of  them  and  our- 
selves, provided  we  are  all  at  our  posts,  serving 
the  Lord  in  our  respective  spheres,  living  to  his 
glory,  and  labouring  for  his  cause.  Then  all 
prospers.  We  sometimes  feel  however  as  if  we 
should  like  to  have  all  things  our  own  way — many 
Martyns — a  host  of  Corries — daily  conversions.' 


REV.   THOMAS   THOMASON.  229 


CHAPTER  IX. 


The  expedition  of  the  Governor  General  through 
British  India,  which  vs^as  conducted  upon  a  scale 
of  more  than  common  magnificence,  could  not  but 
supply  matter  of  continual  interest  to  Mr.  Thom- 
ason,  but  the  true  Christian — still  more  the  Christ- 
ian minister  and  missionary  beholds  all  around 
him,  as  he  does  all  within,  in  the  light  of  the  word 
of  God.  What  to  the  king  of  old  appeared  a 
golden  image,  to  the  prophet  was  as  four  beasts 
coming  out  of  a  tempestuous  ocean.  Many  cir- 
cumstances conspired  to  make  Mr.  Thomason 
undertake  this  voyage  of  eight  hundred  miles, 
succeeded  by  a  journey  of  fifteen  hundred. 
Change  of  scene  and  of  climate  was  likely  to 
prove  exhilarating  and  reviving ;  new  and  less 
fatiguing  duties  were  advantageous — his  church 
was  to  undergo  repair,  his  flock  was  superintended 
by  one  in  whom  he  had  confidence ;  and  he  ex- 
pected, not  without  reason,  in  accompanying  the 
Governor  General,  to  obtain  much  information 
concerning  the  education  of  the  natives,  and  to 
enjoy  the  most  favourable  opportunities  of  urg- 
20 


230  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

ing  his  lordship's  attention  to  their  wretched 
condition.  He  could  not,  however,  leave  an 
affectionate  people  for  the  long  period  contem- 
plated without  pain  ;  of  w^hich,  perhaps,  he  was 
more  than  usually  susceptible,  from  a  recent 
excitement  of  his  sensibilities  in  sending  his 
eldest  son  to  England.  Concerning  that  event, 
he  thus  expresses  himself — '  The  bracing  air  of 
Europe  we  hope  will  do  him  good  ;  how  greatly 
shall  I  rejoice,  if  he  should  prove  willing,  and 
qualified  to  follow  his  father  to  India,  and  labour 
here  in  the  gospel.  But  this  is  with  the  Lo>d. 
/  dare  not  plan ;  hut  blessed  be  God,  I  can  'pray. 
I  cannot  convey  to  you  what  his  poor  mother  felt ; 
my  own  pangs  seem  to  have  been  forgotten  in  her's. 
O  it  was  a  bitter  parting  !  However,  it  is  now 
over,  and  we  both  acquiesce  in  the  step  as  wise 
and  proper.  It  is  one  of  the  greatest  parental 
duties  to  send  him  home — can  a  parent  then 
hesitate?' 

To  his  mother  at  Chatpoor  Ghaut,  June  23, 
1814,  Mr.  Thomason  thus  writes  when  on  the 
point  of  commencing  his  projected  tour  ;  *  Whilst 
Mr.  Robertson  takes  care  of  my  church,  I  am 
proceeding  on  a  new  work,  under  very  new  cir- 
cumstances. The  Governor's  party  is  very  large ; 
near  500  boats  attended  him.  He  is  splendid  and 
stately,  and  his  march  through  the  country 
will  be  more  magnificent  than  that  of  any  pre- 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  231 

ceding  Governor.  The  opportunity  of  seeing 
the  country,  and  conversing  with  every  person 
of  intelligence  and  piety  may  be  highly  important. 
I  mean  to  keep  the  grand  object  in  view,  the 
formation  and  execution  of  school  plans.  Sabat, 
the  translator,  accompanies  me ;  our  Arabic  version 
therefore  continues,  and  the  proof  sheets  follow  us 
up  the  country.  My  public  ministerial  work  will 
be  one  service  on  Sundays,  in  the  family  boat  of 
the  Governor  General,  to  which  the  party  will 
have  access.  Corrie  has  been  again  attacked  with 
his  old  complaint.  He  wrote  to  me  a  fortnight 
ago,  begging  my  advice  as  to  his  going  home.  I 
could  not  hesitate  to  recommend  the  measure; 
strongly  as  we  shall  feel  and  mourn,  yet  for  as 
much  as  the  work  of  Christ  is  the  most  blessed 
of  all  works,  it  is  fit  that  he  should  flee,  that  his 
precious  life  may  be  prolonged  for  future  good. 
I  expect  we  shall  meet  on  the  river;  when  we 
come  to  his  widowed  church  at  Agra,  we  shall 
find  sorrow,  where  we  looked  for  joy.  Corrie 
goes,  who  is  the  leader,  the  pattern,  the  father. 
O,  when  shall  we  see  more  labourers  arrive  in  our 
vineyard  !  Yet  we  rejoice  in  the  Lord's  presence, 
and  believing  that  he  acts  in  a  manner  to  us  invis- 
ible and  inscrutable,  we  can  look  to  him  through 
the  gloom,  and  go  forward  with  hope.  I  felt 
much  at  parting  with  the  dear  people ;  the  aflfec- 
tion  of  many  was  called  forth.     On  the  last  two 


232  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

Thursdays  evenings,  I  have  been  taking  leave; 
conceiving  that  the  important  concern  for  us  all 
is  to  see  that  we  have  the  grace  of  God  in  truth, 
and  walk  consistently  with  such  a  profession,  I 
spoke  on  the  parable  of  the  virgins  for  the  former 
subject,  on  that  of  the  talents  for  the  latter,  con- 
cluding on  Sunday  with  a  sermon  on  following 
peace  and  holiness.  On  these  occasions  I  have 
delivered  my  whole  soul,  and  now  looking  back  on 
my  ministry,  I  mourn  over  its  unprofitableness.  O 
that  the  blessing  of  God  may  come  down  on  Mr. 
Robertson,  and  prosper  his  ministry !  separate  in 
body,  I  am  still  with  him  and  his  flock  in  spirit ; 
if  spared  to  return  to  my  charge,  may  I  come  to 
it  in  more  life,  and  love,  and  earnestness.' 

On  the  7th  of  August,  beyond  Monghir,  he 
thus  addressed  J.  Sherer,  Esq.  one  of  his  congre- 
gation at  Calcutta,  for  whom  his  Christian  love 
had  an  unusual  ardency.  'Mr.  Simeon's  letter 
contains  an  account  of  the  death  of  our  dear  friend, 
Dr.  Jo  we  It,  whose  loss  cast  a  mournful  solemnity 
over  the  anniversary  of  the  Bible  Society.  That 
very  interesting  account  I  sent  by  Sabat,  who  left 

me  at  Monghir. — The  divinity  of  Dr. is  very 

poor  indeed;  we  are  justified  by  faith  alone,  but 
then  the  good  works  are  foreseen,  and  therefore 
grace  imparted ! — The  intelligence  from  home  is 
most  gratifying.  Young  men  are  continually  com- 
ing forward,  but  no  Martyn.     It  is  surprising  India 


REV.    THOiVIAS    THOMASON.  233 

should  be  so  little  thought  of  by  our  young  students. 
The  intelligence  of  Dr.  Middleton's  appointment 
is  interesting  to  us.  His  work  on  the  Greek  Arti- 
cle is  of  the  first  order ;  surely  the  author  of  such 
a  work  will  be  an  episcopal  man  in  the  true  sense 
of  the  word.  At  Monghir  I  was  asked  to  preach 
in  the  evening  for  the  benefit  of  the  station.  A 
few  invalids  attended,  and  a  band  of  eight  or  ten 
European  residents.  We  were  detained  a  week, 
the  weather  wet  and  gloomy,  and  all  beginning  to 
feel  the  effects  of  a  very  unwholesome  spot.  We 
were  anchored  in  a  low  marshy  place,  at  a  dis- 
tance from  the  hills.  The  rapidity  of  the  current 
at  the  Bastion  point  was  not  to  be  encountered 
by  the  Goon-ropes,  and  some  were  obliged  to 
wait.  I  can  ill  describe  the  vexation  and  dis- 
content, and  complainings  of  almost  all  in  the 
fleet.  It  was  indeed  a  sufficiently  dull  week, 
where  there  were  no  resources.  What  a  mercy 
to  be  relieved  from  the  tedium  and  disgust  to 
which  we  find  so  many  a  prey.  Here  we  are  in 
one  little  cabin,  cheerful  and  happy,  and  con- 
stantly employed.  When  we  are  engaged  in  our 
morning  and  evening  readings,  the  heart  over- 
flows with  thankfulness  for  the  distinguishing 
blessings  God  confers  upon  us,  in  having  given  us 
a  love  for  his  word,  and  a  desire  after  a  remem- 
brance   of  his   name.      We    sung   together   this 

morning,  the  hymn  so  obnoxious  to  Dr. ,  and 

20* 


234  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

could  rejoice  in  the  thought,  that  the  fountain  is 
opened  to  us  guilty,  polluted  sinners.  The  defile- 
ment of  sin  is  not  more  felt,  because  the  glory  of 
God  is  not  more  seen.  One  glimpse  of  his  holy 
character  will  make  us  Hq  low  in  the  dust.  I 
have  heard  of  thee  by  the  hearing  of  the  ear,  but 
now  mine  eye  seeth  thee  ;  but  fallen  man  is  with- 
out God  in  the  world ;  how  great  is  the  blessing 
to  have  his  authority  in  some  measure  restored, 
and  his  throne  set  up  in  the  heart.  I  hear  Mr. 
Robertson  is  not  quite  well,  pray  tell  me  the  truth  ; 
he  must  not  be  overworked.  I  am  within  call — 
whenever  you  say  '  it  is  time  to  come  back,  the 
church  wants  you,'  I  shall  apply  for  dismissal. 

The  moral  and  religious  condition  of  the  country 
which  Mr.  Thomason  was  traversing,  kindled  in 
his  bosom,  almost  at  every  new  reach  of  the  river, 
and  at  every  resting  place  at  night,  an  increase  of 
that  compassionate  zeal  which  had  led  him  before 
he  left  Calcutta,  to  draw  up  and  present  to  the 
Govenor  General  a  plan  for  the  instruction  of  the 
Hindoos.  His  comments  written  between  Mirza- 
pore  and  Alhahabad  are  these : — 

*  In  ascending  the  Ganges,  and  visiting  the 
towns  and  villages  on  its  banks,  we  see  the 
enormous  population  of  degraded  beings  with 
our  eyes.  The  first  place  of  importance  was 
Moorshedabad,  the  once  famous  metropolis  of 
Bengal,  an  immense  city  swarming  with  inhabit- 


REV.    THOMAS    TH03IAS0N.  235 

tants,  but  exhibiting  the  sad  marks  of  decayed 
greatness.  Oh,  it  was  an  affecting  sight  to  look 
around  at  the  countless  throngs,  and  observe 
moral,  political,  and  religious  degradation,  without 
one  cheering  symptom  of  improvement.  We  have 
annihilated  the  political  importance  of  the  natives, 
stripped  them  of  their  power,  and  laid  them 
prostrate,  without  giving  them  any  thing  in 
return.  They  possess  neither  learning,  nor  emu- 
lation, nor  power.  Every  spring  of  action  seems 
deadened  ;  they  wallow  in  the  filth  of  a  sense- 
less and  impure  religion,  without  any  prospect 
of  deliverance.  You  can  conceive  nothing 
more  wretched  than  Hindoo  towns  and  villages. 
Nothing  like  architecture,  except  in  their  temples  ; 
the  streets  narrow  and  dirty,  the  houses  inex- 
pressibly mean,  teeming  with  inhabitants  whose 
appearance  is  disgusting  in  the  extreme.  At 
Benares,  I  ventured  to  visit  the  shrine  held  so 
sacred.  It  was  an  oppressive  sight.  The  avenues 
to  it  are  narrow,  crowded  with  Brahmins  and 
bulls :  the  symbols  of  their  impure  religion,  meet 
the  eye  in  every  corner  ;  and  the  horrid  din  of  the 
Brahmins,  and  Fakeers,  and  bulls,  and  beggars, 
and  bells,  was  too  much  to  be  endured.  I 
hastened  from  the  place,  as  from  Pandaemonium, 
and  thanked  God  for  the  gospel.  If  I  do  not 
return  to  my  charge  with  more  of  a  missionary 
spirit,  it  will  be  my  own  fault.     To  behold  such 


236  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

a  mass  of  putrified  matter,  and  not  be  concerned 
about  providing  the  means  of  life  and  health,  is 
criminal  in  the  extreme.  Blessed  be  God  for 
some  little  zeal.  Had  I  obtained  nothing  more 
than  an  increased  sense  of  the  importance  of 
ministerial  labour,  I  should  be  richly  repaid.' 

Mr.  Thomason  had  not  sailed  long  with  Lord 
Moira  before  he  perceived  with  no  little  regret, 
that,  instead  of  being  more  earnest  respecting 
education  in  proportion  as  he  beheld  accumulated 
proofs  of  its  necessity,  he  became,  in  appearance, 
less  alive  to  it  as  a  matter  of  excellent  policy,  and 
imperious  obligation.  The  outline  of  the  plan 
that  had  been  proposed  w^as,  that  schools  should 
be  established  in  every  part  of  India ;  one  prin- 
cipal one  in  every  district  for  the  instruction  of  the 
natives  in  the  English  language  and  science ; 
under  the  school,  and  subordinate  to  the  master, 
village  schools,  where  the  children  should  be 
instructed  to  read  and  write  in  their  own  language. 
The  books  to  be  selections  from  the  moral  and 
sacred  writings  of  Christians,  Mahometans,  and 
Hindoos.  To  supply  the  district  schools,  that 
there  should  be  a  school  for  schoolmasters  in 
Calcutta,  under  the  direction  of  a  man  of  science 
and  literature,  the  whole  to  be  under  a  head, 
called  Agent  for  the  superintendence  of  schools 
throughout  India. 

Concerning  this   plan,    Lord    Moira    bad  ex- 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  237 

pressed  himself  as  highly  pleased,  and  held  out 
a  hope,  that  with  some  modifications,  it  might  be 
adopted.  But  good  intentions  suffer  strange 
syncopes:  mysterious  under-currents  often  carry 
away  stately  vessels  from  their  bearings :  so  it  was 
in  this  instance.  Influential  persons  at  Calcutta 
exerted  an  adverse  power  on  the  Governor 
General's  mind,  and  in  vain  did  Mr.  Thomason 
attempt  to  counteract  this  influence,  and  to  revive 
first  impressions.  *  I  endeavoured,'  he  says  *  in 
the  most  solemn  manner,  to  rouse  the  governor 
to  a  sense  of  the  importance  of  the  crisis,  and 
of  the  high  duties  to  which  he  was  called.  I  look 
around  and  see  a  vast  ocean,  in  the  truest  and 
most  affecting  sense  of  Homer's  epithet,  barren 
of  all  good.' 

An  example  of  Indian  munificence  exhibited  at 
this  time  at  Benares,  formed  a  humiliating  contrast 
to  English  supineness.  By  it  Mr.  Thomason  was 
at  once  shamed  and  cheered  :  '  Near  a  celebrated 
Hindoo  tank,  I  have  seen,'  he  says,  *  the  foun- 
dation of  Jay  Narraiii's  School;  he  met  me 
there,  and  shewed  me  the  grounds,  large  and 
pleasantly  situate :  close  by  the  house  was  a 
path,  along  which  120,000  Hindoos  passed  every 
week  to  bathe.  He  now  says  he  is  ready  to  pay 
the  money  for  the  school  in  the  Company's  paper, 
if  the  Governor  w^ill  guarantee  its  application, 
and  place  it  under  the  direction  of  the  collector, 


238  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

to  be  paid  regularly  to  the  school-master.'  Will 
it  be  credited  that  this  largeness  of  heart, 
though  admired  in  the  highest  quarter,  was  never- 
theless suspected.  The  relation  between  rulers 
and  subjects  in  arbitrary  and  anomalous  govern- 
ments, are  so  disturbed  and  brought  into  so 
morbid  a  condition,  that  attempts  to  act  aright  on 
either  side,  tend  to  awaken  dormant  jealousies. 
It  seems  that  they  must  distrust  analogy  and 
experience,  before  they  can  trust  each  other.' 

At  Cawnpore,  the  magnificence  of  the  Governor 
General's  retinue  was  emulated  and  augmented 
by.  that  of  an  Eastern  Nabob,  who  appeared  on 
the  other  side  the  river  with  a  large  encampment. 
The  two  territories  were  joined  together  by  a 
bridge  of  boats,  and  over  the  subjected  waters 
of  the  Ganges,  trains  of  mighty  elephants  and 
costly  presents  were  passing  and  re-passing.  But 
for  all  this  pageantry  Mr.  Thomason  had  no  eyes. 
He  was  on  the  very  spot  where  Martyn  lived 
and  laboured:  his  house  with  the  long  line  of 
aloes  leading  to  it,  was  in  sight ;  his  past  course 
of  devotedness  unto  death,  his  present  never-dying 
joys  filled  his  thoughts :  the  vision  that  appeared 
to  the  mental  eye  was  shadowy,  but  not  unsub- 
stantial ;  and  all  the  fascinations  of  pomp  vanished 
before  it.  What  are  Nabobs  and  governors  of 
mighty  empires  compared  with  one  such  minister 
serving  the    Lord    on    earth   with    all    humility, 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  239 

amidst  tears  and  temptations,  and  then  "  walking 
high  in  salvation,  and  the  climes  of  bliss." 

*  In  these  sandy  plains  I  have  been  tracing  again 
and  again  the  days  of  Martyn.  Close  by  me  is  the 
house  that  dear  minister  occupied,  leading  to 
which  is  the  gloomy  line  of  aloes  spoken  of  by 
Mrs.  Sherwood.  On  the  other  side  of  the 
Ganges  is  the  Nabob  with  a  large  encampment, 
between  whom  and  the  Governor  General,  the 
civilities  are  numerous. 

*  But  how  poor  are  the  trappings  of  royalty,  and 
the  pomps  and  vanities  of  the  world  !  All  who 
take  a  near  view  of  the  grandeur  of  earthly 
monarchs,  discern  its  intrinsic  nothingness ;  yet 
they  follow  it,  pant  after  it,  worship  it.  Awfully 
is  the  soul  fallen  from  its  original  character :  we 
catch  at  straws  when  we  ought  to  be  holding  fast 
the  crown  of  life. 

'  O  for  Martyn's  humility  and  love :  (he  after- 
wards wrote,)  those  who  knew  him  can  bear 
testimony  to  the  truth  of  his  Christian  walk.  His 
standard  of  every  duty  was  the  highest,  and  his 
feelings  of  joy,  sorrow,  love,  most  intense  ;  whilst 
his  conversation  was  always  in  heaven,  the  sa- 
vour of  his  holy  disposition  was  as  ointment 
poured  forth.  Many  parts  of  his  experience  can 
only  be  appreciated  by  those  who  enter  deeply 
into  the  divine  life.  In  proportion  as  we  discern 
what  is  spiritual  in  its  excellence  and  glory,  we 


!;i40  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

shall  understand  his  lowly  self-abasing  reflections 
on  what  he  observed  within.  He  was  transported 
by  a  glory,  of  which  common  Christians  only 
obtain  a  glimpse.  And  O  how  is  all  ex- 
plained, when  we  behold  him  entering  his  closet, 
and  holding  communion  with  God  with  such 
delight,  such  unwearied  constant  enjoyment! 
Woe  unto  us  if  we  do  not  pray  more,  live  more 
above  the  world,  and  deny  ourselves  more,  and 
love  Christ  more.  Are  we  not  hoping  to  see  him 
in  a  happier  state :  the  Lord  quicken  us,  and 
enable  us  to  go  forward,  "  laying  aside  every 
weight,  and  the  sin  which  doth  so  easily  beset  us, 
let  us  run  with  patience  the  race  that  is  set 
before  us." ' 

Leaving  Cawnpore,  Mr.  Thomason  began  what 
to  him  was  a  novel  and  strange  mode  of  life ; 
marching  and  living  in  tents.  The  party  proceeded 
by  easy  stages  twelve  miles  a  day,  rising  by 
gun-fire,  when  it  was  quite  dark  in  the  morning, 
they  arrived  at  their  ground  a  little  after  sunrise. 
*  Conceive,'  as  he  says,  describing  his  journey, — 
*an  immense  plain,  on  which  are  scattered  thou- 
sands of  villages,  a  few  principal  towns  without 
variety,  and  a  vast  multitude  of  inhabitants: 
when  you  have  seen  one  village  or  town,  you 
have  seen  all,  they  are  without  any  of  those  marks 
of  opulence,  civilization,  or  elegance  which  delight 
the  English    traveller.     Those  persons  who  are 


RE.V.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  241 

distinguished  for  their  wealth,  are  few,  and  they 
shun  the  presence  of  Europeans :  their  manners 
and  their  dress  are  similar  to  those  of  their  infe- 
riors :  the  effect  of  Enghsh  superiority  is  of  the 
most  gloomy  nature.' 

It  was  not  long  after  entering  upon  the  second 
part    of   this   expedition,    that    Mr.   Thomason's 
zeal,  fidelity,  and  boldness,  as  well  as  his  wisdom 
and   discretion,  were   signally  put  to  the  proof. 
He    soon    discovered    to    his   sorrow,    that    the 
Governor  General  when  travelling,  paid  no  regard 
to  the  Christian  Sabbath.     As  his  Chaplain,  there- 
fore, he  deemed  it  incumbent  on  him,  to  notice 
this  violation  of  the  day  of   rest.       Perceiving, 
however,    when  he   had  hoped    his    suggestions 
had  been  attended  to,    and   his  object  attained, 
that  arrangements  were  making  on  the  Saturday 
for  moving  the  next  day  ;   his  conscience  told  him 
that  he   should  be  wanting  in  allegiance   to  the 
Lord  of  the  Sabbath,  if  yielding  to  natural  inclina- 
tions,   he     offered    no    remonstrance.        Painful 
therefore  as  the  measure  was,  he  hesitated  not  to 
adopt  it.     The  reply  was,  his  dismissal  from,  the 
camp.       The  rigour  of   this   stern    and    haughty 
step,  was  indeed  tempered  by  an  intimation  from' 
the  Secretary,  that  an  apology  would  be  accepted. 
To  apologize  when  in  error,  was  as  congenial  to 
Mr.  Thomason's  conciliating  disposition,  as  it  was 
to    his    religious    principles  :    but    in    this    case 
21 


242  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

apology  was  out  of  the  question.     Yet  as  explana- 
tion   was    both    admissible    and    becon^ing,    he 
instantly   wrote   to  the   Governor  General,    '^ex- 
pressing his  surprise  at  this  order,  but  his  readi- 
ness at  the  same  time  to  comply  with  it ;  adding 
that  he  felt  as  strongly  as  ever  the  importance  of 
the  subject,  and  thought  it  the  duty  of  a  minister 
of  religion,  to  explain  his  views  when  the  honour 
of  God  and  interests  of  religion  ivere  concerned  ; 
but  that  he  lamented,  that  any  thing  should  have 
appeared  in  the  expression  of  his  sentiments  that 
was  thought   disrespectful.      Thus   did  he   unite 
deference  for  the  authority  of  the  Governor,  and 
courtesy  towards  him  as  man,  with  deference  to 
the   paramount    authority   of  God,     and   uncom- 
promising integrity. 

The  Governor  General  was  satisfied,  and  for  a 
time  respect  was  paid  to  the  sabbath-day. 

To  what  dangers,  as  well  as  inconvenience,  a 
separation  from  the  main  party  would  have  led, 
may  be  seen  in  this  statement.  'Even  on  our 
line  of  march,  we  are  subject  to  depredation. 
The  camel  with  his  Lordship's  table  was  taken 
by  Decoits  two  nights  ago  ;  and  a  little  before, 
three  camels :  we  dread  single  travelling,  which 
even  on  the  river  would  be  dangerous,  if  the 
news  from  the  armies  continues  as  unfavourable 
as  it  has  been.  Who  can  tell  what  is  before  us  ? 
the  war-trumpet  has  sounded.'       From  thoughts 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  243 

of  war  and  rumours  of  war,  Mr.  Thomason's  mind 
was   withdrawn   delightfully   at   Kurnall.      There 
he  found  some  artillery  men,  from  a  number  who 
knew  Mr.  Corrie  and  loved  him.     These  Christian 
soldiers  came  to  Mr.  Thomason's  tent  for  prayer 
and  exposition  of  the   Scriptures,  and    (said  he 
who  ministered   amongst    them) — 'even    in    this 
jungle,  we  could  rejoice  together  in  remembrance 
of  the  love  of  Christ.     All  the  places,  (he  added) 
where  troops  are  usually  stationed,   are  empty. 
There  is  nothing  to  amuse  a  traveller  who  does 
not  hunt :  however,  I  hope  my  time  is  not  wholly 
lost ;    my  little   Hindoostanee   church  has   lately 
received  an  accession  by  one  of  the  converts  from 
Agra,  a  pious  humble  Christian :   we  are  now  a 
little   company,  and   spend   many   a   happy  hour 
together  over  the  Scriptures.     With  these  beloved 
fellow  travellers,  I  am  often  solaced  amidst  the 
sickening  frivolities  of  the  camp.     Since  we  left 
Hindostan,  Sunday  has   not  been  observed  as  a 
day  of  rest ;  yet  the  Governor  halts  to  get  ready 
for   a  tiger  hunt.      The  kingdoms  of  this  world 
will  have  their  own  pursuits  and  enjoyments,  they 
are  not  those  of  the   kingdom  of  Christ.     The 
experience  I  have  had  of  this,  will,  I  trust,  be 
useful    to    me,    and    certainly,    intercourse   with 
native   schools,  and  daily   Hindoostanee   preach- 
ing, have  contributed  much  to  enlarge  my  heart 
towards  the  perishing  heathen.     Corrie's  fatherly 


244  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

attention  to  his  flock  was  truly  lovely.  Nothing 
of  an  abiding  nature  can  be  done  without  love, 
that  love  w^hich  arises  from  Christian  prin- 
ciples, and  is  kept  up  by  close  walking  with 
God.  I  pray  for  more  of  it.  By  love  God 
works  with  us,  and  by  love  we  must  work  with 
others.  Enoch's  walk  was  a  walk  of  love.  Some- 
times I  try  to  analyse  in  a  practical  way,  this 
one  word,  love,  and  find  it  full  of  affecting 
truths.  We  know  little  about  it.  Humility, 
holiness,  faith,  hope,  gratitude,  all  these  working 
in  their  degree,  dilate  the  contracted  heart.  In 
proportion  to  the  intenseness  of  them,  is  the 
intenseness  of  our  love.  Where  there  is  nothing 
of  them,  all  that  looks  like  love  is  selfish,  de- 
praved, earthly  principle.  I  could  prove  this, 
and  do  so  to  myself  every  day.  I  see  a  vast  quan- 
tity of  rubbish,  spurious  love,  animal  warmth, 
sanguine  self-complacency,  self-righteous  exer- 
tion, usurping  the  place  of  love,  wearing  its  garb, 
talking  its  language.  Is  this  wonderful,  when 
there  is  so  much  pride?  The  first  step  in  the 
ladder  is  humility.  The  Lord  help  us  to  gain 
it,  and  to  go  step  by  step,  till  we  have  got  to  the 
region  of  love.' 

On  the  6th  of  March,  1815,  Mr.  Thomason 
completed  the  least  pleasing  part  of  his  journey, 
and  again  embarked  on  board  a  vessel  at  Caun- 
pore,  finding  the  tranquillity  of  floating  down  the 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  245 

Ganges  pleasant,  after  the  bustle  of  a  camp,  and 
the  din  of  tent  pins  and  camels.  He  then  had 
leisure  to  look  back  at  events  and  places,  and 
thus  depicts  the  desolation  he  had  witnessed. 

'  To  have  once  taken  the  tour  of  the  Bengal 
provinces,  will  be  of  great  advantage  in  future 
operations.  But  there  is  nothing  to  tempt  a 
second  visit.  To  a  feeling  heart,  the  prospect 
of  desolation  is  most  distressing.  The  country 
affords  much  to  gratify  a  naturalist,  and  an 
antiquarian ;  but  the  pursuits  of  such  persons 
require  time  and  leisure.  We  only  passed  through, 
and  saw  the  immense  plains  of  Hindostan,  in 
all  their  nakedness,  the  dire  effects  of  those 
contentions,  which  for  centuries  have  depopulated 
the  country,  and  covered  its  face  with  ruins.  '  The 
ruins  of  Delhi  are  of  surprising  extent,  reaching 
sixteen  miles  or  more  ;  a  sickening  sight !  O  it 
made  us  sad  to  go  through  the  awful  scene  of 
desolation.  Mosques,  temples,  houses,  all  in 
ruins ;  piles  of  stones,  broken  pillars,  domes, 
crumbling  walls,  covered  the  place.  The  imperial 
city  presents  nothing  but  the  palace  to  give  an 
idea  of  its  greatness,  and  only  appears  grand 
from  the  magnificent  wall  with  which  it  is  sur- 
rounded, which  still  retains  its  beauty — being 
built  of  hard  stone.  Within  is  poverty  and 
departed  grandeur — all  is  going  to  decay.  The 
famous  hall  of  audience  remains,  built  of  marble, 
2i* 


246  MEMOIR   OF    THE 

richly  inlaid  with  stones  sufficiently  beautiful  to 
realize  all  our  expectations.  We  saw  in  the 
gardens  the  reigning  prince,  the  poor  represent- 
ative of  Timur's  house.  He  was  taking  an  airing, 
carried  on  a  Tonjoh — (a  chair  borne  on  shoulders) 
preceded  by  a  train  of  attendants  bawling  out  his 
titles;  he  bowed  to  us,  and  appeared  an  intelli- 
gent man.  The  courts  of  the  palace — the  attend- 
ants-— the  offices  of  the  servants — all  gave  an 
appearance  of  wretchedness  one  could  not  behold 
without  a  sigh.' 

From  Allahabad,  March  12,  1815,  the  following 
letter  was  written  by  Mr.  Thomason  to  that  friend 
whom  distance  and  space  seemed  to  bring  into 
closer  union.  A  vigorous  pulse  of  piety  beats 
through  the  whole  of  it. 

To  THE  Rev.  Mr.  Simeon. 
'  Since  I  wrote  last,  our  hearts  have  been  made 
glad  by  many  of  your  most  welcome  and  affec- 
tionate letters.  ...  I  proceed  to  give  some  account 
of  my  progress.  In  my  last  I  talked  about  school 
plans,  and  the  object  of  my  accompanying  Lord 
Moira.  I  had  a  poor  account  to  give.  The 
prospect  was  far  from  encouraging ;  nor  has  it 
much  improved.  I  mentioned  having  seen  an 
answer  sent  from  the  Council  at  Calcutta.  That 
answer  afforded  decisive  evidence  of  the  present 
temper  of  the  majority  in  the  Indian  Government, 


REV.    THOxAIAS    THOMASON.  24T 

and  led  me  to  think  that  nothing  would  be  done 
in  this  country  until  the  command  reach  us  from 
home.  I  see  no  reason  to  alter  this  opinion ; 
trifling  half  measures  may  be  set  on  foot  sufficient 
to  satisfy  conscience,  but  wholly  inadequate  to 
the  country's  wants.  In  our  long  march  the 
subject  was  often  discussed;  many  plans  have 
been  proposed,  and  his  lordship  who  seems  bent 
on  doing  something,  has  been  at  last  drawn  to  a 
plan  for  schools  of  industry,  which  seem  to  take 
with  him  surprisingly.  A  plan  of  this  nature  was 
proposed  to  Council  many  years  ago,  but  laid  by 
in  the  records  of  the  police  office,  out  of  which 

it  was  lately  drawn  and  presented  to  ,  by 

the  superintendent  of  police.  It  suggests  the 
establishment  of  schools  of  industry  for  vagabonds, 
thieves,  and  criminals  of  all  descriptions,  some- 
thing like  our  Philanthropic  Society  at  home. 
This  is  good  as  far  as  it  goes.  To  employ  the 
time  well,  is  to  keep  out  of  mischief,  and  if  habits 
of  industry  are  acquired  much  has  been  done. 
But  is  this  all?  Suppose  fifty  such  schools  to  be 
established  through  the  country,  shall  we  have 
provided  for  the  existing  wants  of  the  people? 
Shall  we  have  done  all  that  a  Christian  parental 
government  ought  to  have  done?  Are  we  to 
fritter  away  our  plans  of  teaching  into  a  plan  for 
workhouses?  In  answer  to  these  questions  they 
will  say  that  instruction  will  form  a  part  of  the 


248  ME3I0IR   OF   THE 

plan ;  that  the  children  will  be  taught  to  read  and 
write.  But  this  is  only  to  silence  the  anxious 
objector,  the  real  thing  aimed  at  in  such  institu- 
tions is  labour ;  the  subordinate  object,  instruction, 
will  become  a  mere  nominal  part  of  the  establish- 
ment. If  we  would  reform  effectually,  we  must 
instruct,  and  if  we  would  instruct  effectually,  we 
must  have  institutions  in  which  instruction  holds 
the  principal  place.  Greatly  shall  I  lament  to 
see  our  funds,  small  and  inadequate  as  they  are, 
wasted  upon  schools  of  industry.  Such  schools 
will  not  raise  this  fallen,  fallen  race ;  they  will 
not  strike  at  the  root  of  the  evil,  they  will  leave 
the  natives  in  the  state  of  degradation  in  which 
they  now  lie.  I  can  only  raise  a  feeble  voice,  but 
this,  as  long  as  I  have  power  and  opportunity  to 
speak,  I  must  do. 

*  In  the  discussion  of  these  subjects,  and  con- 
versations with  different  persons  through  the 
country,  our  journeying  has  come  to  an  end.  From 
Lucknow  we  proceeded  to  Bareilli,  thence  to 
Moorshedabad  and  Hurdwar.  This  last  is  a  most 
interesting  spot.  It  is  a  pass  in  the  northern 
frontier  mountains  through  which  the  Ganges  in  a 
few  insignificant  streams  flows  into  the  plains  of 
Hindostan.  At  this  place  the  water  is  remarkably 
pure,  and  an  annual  fair  is  held,  which  is  resorted 
to  by  Hindoos  to  a  vast  amount  (near  a  million  it 
has    been    thought)    for   ablution    in    the   sacred 


REV.    THOMAS   THOMASON. 


249 


stream.  The  spot  is  romantic  and  beautiful ;  very 
interesting  it  was  to  view  the  Ganges  rolling 
between  the  mountains,  and  contemplating  its 
progressive  and  mighty  increase  in  a  course  of  near 
1400  miles.  Is  this  the  majestic  Ganges,  we 
asked,  which  flows  so  deeply  and  widely,  and 
waters  the  thirsty  plains  of  India  ?  At  Hurdwar 
we  spent  Christmas  day,  and  for  the  first  time  I 
beheve  the  death  of  Christ  was  commemorated  by 
a  Christian  congregation  at  that  celebrated  spot, 
which  is  as  the  throne  of  Satan.  Amidst  all  my 
ministerial  discouragements,  I  thanked  God  and 
took  courage.  Who  knows  what  rapid  progress 
may  be  made  by  the  Gospel,  which  appears  now 
flowing  hke  the  Ganges  at  Hurdwar,  but  may 
perhaps  ere  long  fill  the  earth  with  gladness. 

'  The  thermometer  on  Christmas  day  at  sunrise 
was  as  low  as  27,  a  degree  of  cold  we  had  not  ex- 
perienced since  we  left  England.  On  two  or 
three  occasions  afterwards  it  was  at  25.  From 
Hurdwar  we  proceeded,  with  the  majestic  snowy 
mountains  of  Nepaul  in  view  as  we  travelled 
through  Kirnaul  and  Nansi  (crossing  the  Jumjna) 
to  the  imperial  city  of  Delhi — from  Delhi  to 
Murat  and  Agra.  Before  we  arrived  at  Agra 
it  was  settled  that  Lord  Moira  would  not  return 
to  Calcutta  till  next  cold  weather.  I  requested 
permission,  therefore  to  return  home;  and  his 
lordship   having  given   us   leave   to   do   so,   we 


250  MEMOIR   OP   THE 

proceeded  straight  to  Duttyghur,  where  we 
took  to  our  boat,  in  which  we  are  proceeding  down 
the  river  towards  Calcutta :  we  hope  in  three 
days  to  arrive  at  Benares.  We  had  a  pleasant 
parting  with  his  Lordship  ;  he  expressed  his  hope 
to  me  that  something  would  result  from  the  infor- 
mation we  had  collected  on  the  journey,  and  that 
the  hints  which  had  been  furnished  would  be 
gathered  up  and  become  productive  of  some  bene- 
ficial plans  of  instruction,  of  the  need  of  which  he 
felt  as  much  assured  as  ever.  On  the  whole  I  felt 
as  if  my  connection  with  this  party  had  not  been 
without  its  use.  I  have  had  frequent  opportunities 
of  suggesting  what  appeared  advisable,  and  now 
part  from  them  with  a  promise  of  communicating 
from  time  to  time  what  may  be  interesting  in  my 
department.  Having  now  seen  all  the  principal 
stations  and  principal  people  in  these  parts,  I 
return  much  better  qualified  to  judge  of  many 
things  than  I  could  have  been  if  I  had  continued 
in  Calcutta.  But  schools  have  not  yet  been 
formed.  The  prospect  indeed  has  become  darker 
rather  than  otherwise.  For  want  of  the  true 
rallying  point,  philanthropic  benevolence  sinks 
before  the  opposition  and  indifference  which 
oppose  efficient  plans  of  usefulness. 

'  The  Nepaul  war  broke  out  at  Lucknow,  and 
the  first  operation  was  disastrous ;  it  produced  the 
loss  of  General  Gillepsie,  one  of  our  ablest  gene- 


HEV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  251 

rals.     The  despised  Goorkahs  are  formidable  ene- 
mies, and  the  contest  is  Hkely  to  prove  very  arduous. 

*  Whilst  we  were  harassed  with  bad  news  from 
the  armies,  the  paper  announced  the  arrival  of  Dr. 
Middleton,  our  bishop.  Here  is  a  man  of  peace 
come  amongst  us  for  works  of  peace.  Even  in 
troublous  times  our  Jerusalem  may  be  built.  All 
the  accounts  have  been  favourable.  He  has  com- 
menced with  a  noble  confession  of  his  principles 
and  motives  for  coming  to  India.  Our  friends 
have  been  made  glad  and  have  gladdened  us  by 
their  accounts. 

'  I  hope  to  know  him  soon,  and  pray  that  my 
report  may  be  such  as  will  give  you  joy.  You 
have  made  us  glad  with  your  notice  of  a  new- 
chaplain.  Oh  that  it  may  please  God  to  regard 
us  with  compassion,  and  incline  the  hearts  of  his 
servants  to  come  over  and  help  us.  We  want 
learning  as  well  as  piety.  It  would  make  your 
heart  ache  to  go  through  this  land.  Whoever 
comes,  must  make  up  his  mind  to  labour,  and 
prepare  for  discouragement.  I  cannot  use  flat- 
tering speeches  to  allure  my  brethren.  They 
must  be  prepared  to  fight  battles,  and  must 
expect  disappointments.  India  is  a  scene  of 
peculiar  trial.  Our  hopes  are  often  blasted ; 
if  we  are  very  sanguine  and  impatient,  we  must 
smart  for  it  We  must  learn  to  plough  in  hope, 
to  wait,  to  pray,  and    to   believe.      Adversaries 


252  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

abound  whose  mouths  are  ever  open,  and  who 
have  many  grounds  of  offence  in  the  fickleness 
of  professors,  and  instability  of  the  native  converts. 
The  trial  is  sharp,  and  such  as  the  gospel  only 
can  carry  us  through.  We  have  had  a  fresh 
cause  of  grief  in  the  relapse  of  Sabat.  I  never 
thought  well  of  him.  He  left  me  at  Monghir, 
after  completing  the  New  Testament ;  on  his 
return  to  Calcutta,  he  published  a  book  against 
the  Christian  religion.  I  have  as  yet  only  seen 
the  title  page.  He  calls  it  Sabatean  proofs  of  the 
truth  of  Islamism,  and  falsehood  of  Christianity ; 
he  pretends  to  pull  down  the  pillars  of  our 
faith,  and  in  a  pompous  page  has  expressed  all 
the  bitterness,  and  arrogance,  and  profaneness 
of  his  character,  declaring  that  he  has  printed  the 
book,  not  '  for  any  private  emolument,  but  as  a 
free-will  offering  to  God.'  It  is  a  public  and 
bitter  avowal  of  his  hypocrisy  in  all  his  dealings 
with  us,  and  the  scandal  occasioned,  is  greater 
than  you  can  imagine.  Those  who  were  inclined 
to  favour  our  attempts  with  the  natives,  are  many 
of  them  prejudiced.  The  bishop  is  grieved. 
I  have  learned  some  useful  lessons ;  to  be  cautious 
in  judging — to  be  backward  in  praising — above 
all,  to  be  careful  how  we  publish  the  tidings 
of  our  operations. 

'  We  need  much  divine  wisdom,  and  holy  dis- 
cernment.     It  is  not  to  be  conceived   by  those 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  253 

who  are  connected  with  them,  how  expert  the 
natives  are  in  every  art  of  deception.  I  hope  we 
shall  guard  against  talking  of  Abdool  Messeh. 
With  every  hope  of  his  being  a  real  Christian,  it 
is  prudent  to  say  little.  I  pray  that  he  may  be 
kept  in  humility,  and  in  active  labour,  until  our 
brother  return  to  us.  Abdool  needs  Corrie,  and 
so  does  the  church  at  large.  A  fitter  instrument 
for  leading  on  the  native  converts,  for  winning 
the  affections  of  the  people,  and  carrying  on  mis- 
sionary labours,  can  hardly  be  found.  They 
speak  of  him  at  Agra  with  tears :  his  loce  has  won 
them  all.  He  was,  humanly  speaking,  their  stay 
and  centre  of  union.  This  and  every  other  care, 
I  desire  to  leave  to  our  gracious  Head :  to  whom 
every  disappointment  should  draw  us  more  closely. 
To  him  as  the  good  Shepherd,  I  desire  to  look 
for  all  my  strength,  and  for  all  my  fruitfulness, 
and  to  him  I  commit  yourself  and  people,  all  of 
t/oM,  and  all  of  us^  evermore." 


22 


234  MEMOIR    OP   THE 


CHAPTER  X. 


Me.  Thomason's  reunion  with  his  flock  at  Cal- 
cutta, at  the  end  of  May,  1815,  was  an  event 
of  mutual  joy  to  himself  and  them.  '  All  our 
old  feelings  were  more  than  renewed.  I  was 
received  with  a  cordiality  I  ought  never  to  forget. 
Surely  I  am  bound  to  this  people  by  ties,  which 
can  be  broken  only  by  death,  or  rather  by  bonds 
of  love,  which  death  will  only  strengthen.*  Such 
were  his  heart-felt  expressions  on  rejoining  his 
congregation.  An  additional  satisfaction  did  he 
enjoy  in  welcoming  to  India  a  clergyman*  of 
sentiments  and  spirit  congenial  to  his  own.  He 
had  left  England  with  a  wife  and  eight  children, 
that  he  might  devote  himself  and  them  to  the 
service  of  his  Redeemer,  in  that  land  of  pagan 
ignorance.  The  sight  of  such  a  man  in  such  a 
country,  an  answer  to  many  a  fervent  prayer, 
was  a  ground  for  ardent  thanksgiving.  His  con- 
tinuance likewise  at  Calcutta,  during  the  year 
of  his  arrival  was   a  seasonable   succour  to  Mr. 

»  The  Rev.  Mr.  Fisber. 


KEV.    THOMAS    THOMA.SON.  255 

Thomason,  whilst  the  attendants  at  the  Mission 
Church  rejoiced  in  another  faithful  witness  for 
the  truth  amongst  them.  Some  drawback  to 
these  gratifications  was  the  refusal  of  the  Bishop 
to  open  and  consecrate  the  Mission  Church: 
the  disappointment  was  the  greater,  because  Mr. 
Thomason  had  confidently  calculated  upon  his 
Lordship's  compliance  with  his  desires,  and 
because  the  reason  alleged  for  refusal,  that  the 
patronage  was  vested  in  individuals,  and  not  in 
the  company,  (an  opinion  no  doubt  most  con- 
scientiously entertained,)  carried  with  it  no  con- 
viction of  its  soundness  to  Mr.  Thomason's  judg- 
ment ;  nor  is  it  to  be  questioned,  had  such  sen- 
timents constantly  and  universally  prevailed,  that 
few  churches  would  have  been  erected  in  our 
land.  But  vexations  are  comparative.  This, 
though  not  slight,  dwindled  into  nothing  con- 
trasted with  the  keen  anguish,  occasioned  by 
those  remarks  with  which  Calcutta  rung,  con- 
cerning Sabat's  virulent  attack  on  that  faith,  from 
which  he  had  apostatized.  The  eflfect  of  his 
treatise  on  the  Mahometan  mind,  might,  it  was 
feared,  be  very  unfavourable ;  that  of  the  apos- 
tacy  itself  on  numbers  calling  themselves  Chris- 
tians, was  instantly  and  extensively  prejudicial. 
It  increased  the  innate  enmity  of  the  natural  heart 
against  that  spirituality  in  religion,  which  con- 
tains its  very  root,  and  flower,  and  fruit,  that 


256  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

without  which  it  is  dead  and  worthless ;  it 
increased  and  strengthened  suspicions  against 
native  converts ;  it  gave  birth  to  fiercer  invectives 
against  Missionaries,  and  more  contemptuous 
ridicule  of  their  exertions.  As  when  Judas  acted 
the  traitor — Ananias  the  liar — Simon  Magus  the 
refined  hypocrite — so  it  was  when  Sabat  daringly- 
departed  from  the  nominal  profession  of  the 
truth.  The  righteous  sorrowed,  the  unrighteous 
triumphed :  yet  wisdom  was  justified  of  her  chil- 
dren. Happily  for  Mr.  Thomason  and  the  inhabit- 
ants of  Calcutta,  the  apostate  soon  deserted 
Bengal  for  a  distant  settlement.  There,  after  no 
long  interval,  political  intrigues  brought  him  to 
an  appalling  end.  A  British  officer,  Colonel  Mac 
Innes,  resident  at  Penang,  has  detailed  the  ter- 
mination of  his  career.  The  account  was  printed 
in  French  at  Geneva,  in  an  appendix  to  the 
translation  to  the  memoir  of  H.  Martyn's  life, 
and  by  the  friendly  consent  of  the  author,  himself 
a  friend  of  Mr.  Thomason,  is  inserted  here. 

'  I  became  personally  acquainted  with  Sabat 
at  Penang,  a  little  after  his  public  abjuration  of 
Christianity  in  Bengal.  This  deplorable  act  was 
followed  by  an  unsuccessful  trading  voyage  to 
Rangoon,  after  which  he  reappeared  at  Penang, 
with  the  wreck  of  his  fortune,  in  hope  of  better 
success. 

*  During  his   stay   in    this    island,    I    had    the 


JREV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  257 

opportunity  of  knowing  him  thoroughly.  I  saw 
in  him  a  disappointed  man,  uneasy  and  agitated 
in  his  mind.  He  attributed  all  the  distress  of  his 
soul,  to  the  grief  he  felt  for  having  abandoned 
Christianity.  He  desired  to  receive  again  this 
holy  religion,  as  the  only  means  of  reconciling 
himself  with  God.  He  declared  that  he  had  not 
had  a  moment's  peace  since  (at  the  instigation 
of  Satan)  he  had  published  his  attack  upon 
Revelation,  an  attack  which  he  called  his  '■had 
work.'  He  told  me  also,  that  what  had  led  him  to 
this  fatal  step,  was  the  desire  of  revenging  himself 
upon  an  individual  to  whom  he  thought  an 
attack  upon  Christianity  would  be  more  painful 
than  any  personal  injury ;  but  he  had  no  sooner 
executed  this  detestable  project  (he  added)  than 
he  felt  a  horror  of  the  action,  and  now  he  only 
valued  his  life  that  he  might  be  able  to  undo  the 
pernicious  tendency  of  his  book,  which  he  thought 
would  be  great  in  Mahometan  countries.  He 
never  spoke  of  Mr.  Martyn  without  the  most 
profound  respect,  and  shed  tears  of  grief  whenever 
he  recalled  how  severely  he  had  tried  the  patience 
of  this  faithful  servant  of  God.  He  mentioned 
several  anecdotes  to  show  with  what  extraordinary 
sweetness  Martyn  had  borne  his  numerous  provo- 
cations. "  He  was  less  a  man  (he  said)  than  an 
angel  from  heaven."  His  apostacy  had  excited 
much  observation  in  the  East ;  there  appeared  in 
22* 


258 


MEMOIR   OF   THE 


the  Penang  Gazette  an  article  which  announced 
the  arrival  and  the  opinions  of  this  famous  person, 
but  which  expressed  at  the  same  time  the  appre- 
hension that  was  generally  entertained  of  his  sin- 
cerity. Sabat  no  sooner  read  this  article  than 
without  being  offended  by  the  little  regard  that 
seemed  to  be  paid  to  his  veracity,  he  wrote  him- 
self to  the  Editor.  He  affirmed  that  according  to 
the  general  report  he  did  indeed  profess  Chris- 
tianity anew,  and  he  declared  that  it  was  his 
intention  to  consecrate  the  remainder  of  his  days 
to  the  advancement  of  this  holy  religion  in  the 
world.  In  conformity  with  these  declarations 
rather  than  lodge  with  a  Mahometan,  he  went  to 
stay  at  the  house  of  an  Armenian  Christian  named 
Johannes,  a  respectable  merchant  who  had  known 
him  at  the  time  of  his  baptism  at  Madras.  While 
there  he  every  evening  read  and  expounded  the 
Scriptures  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  his  host, 
who  was  a  very  worthy  man,  but  very  inferior  to 
Sabat  in  talents  and  knowledge,  especially  of  the 
holy  Scriptures.  In  this  last  respect  I  imagine 
few  men  have  surpassed  Sabat. 

'But  in  spite  of  these  promising  appearances 
he  continued  to  frequent  the  Mosque,  where  he 
worshipped  indiscriminately  with  all  the  other 
Mahometans.  When  the  inconsistency  of  such 
conduct  was  represented  to  him  he  cited  the 
example  of  Nicodemus,  who  although  a  disciple 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON. 


259 


of  Jesus,  persevered  in  the  public  profession  of 
Judaism,  believing  that  thus  he  could  better  serve 
his  Lord  and  Master,  and  this  policy  had  never 
been  blamed.  Sometimes  he  reviewed  the  argu- 
ments in  favour  of  Mahometanism  as  if  to  display 
his  talents  in  defending  a  thesis  which  was  mani- 
festly untenable.  He  alleged  amongst  other 
things  the  promise  of  our  Lord  to  send  the  Com- 
forter, which  the  Mahometans  not  without  some 
appearance  of  reason  (he  said)  applied  to  their 
prophet.  But  soon  forced  to  abandon  this  refuge 
as  well  as  every  other,  he  confessed,  though  with 
manifest  repugnance,  that  Mahometanism  only 
owed  its  success  to  fraud  and  violence,  and  that 
Mahomet  himself  deserved  no  better  name  than 
that  of  an  impostor.  During  his  stay  at  Penang, 
this  island  was  visited  by  a  Malay  prince, 
Jouhuroolalim  king  of  the  neighbouring  state  of 
Acheen,  (in  the  island  of  Sumatra,)  from  whence 
a  revolt  of  his  subjects  had  obliged  him  suddenly 
to  flee.  A  great  number  of  his  subjects  disgusted 
at  seeing  their  prince  associating  with  Europeans, 
wearing  their  dress,  and  imitating  their  dissolute 
manners,  invited  Seyyed  Hosyn,  a  rich  merchant 
of  Penang,  who  had  some  pretensions  to  the 
throne,  to  come  and  assert  his  claims,  and  help 
them  to  depose  Jouhuroolalim.  Seyyed  Hosyn, 
too  far  advanced  in  years  to  accept  the  offer  for 
himself,  made  over  the  claims  of  the  family  to  his 


260  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

son,  who  under  the  name  of  Syfoolalim  (sword  of 
the  universe)  went  to  Acheen,  and  soon  reduced 
the  king  to  extremity.  It  was  then  that  Jouhu- 
roolalim  appeared  at  Penang,  as  we  have  seen,  in 
order  to  procure  arms  and  provisions  to  recom- 
mence the  struggle.  Sabat  offered  his  services  to 
Jouhuroolalim,  with  no  other  end  as  he  assured 
me  than  to  discover  and  profit  by  any  favourable 
opportunity  that  should  ofter  of  introducing  Chris- 
tianity among  the  Acheenois,  a  nation  which  is 
particularly  intractable  and  ferocious,  and  many 
of  whom  were  cannibals.  The  imposing  and  even 
engaging  manners  which  he  could  assume,  his 
reputation  as  a  man  of  talents,  and  the  high  esteem 
which  the  Indian  nations  have  for  Arabian  auxilia- 
ries, on  account  of  their  courage  and  intrepidity, 
procured  him  a  favourable  reception  from  Jouhu- 
roolalim, in  a  moment  when  adversity  had 
estranged  from  him  all  his  European  favourites. 
Sabat  accompanied  this  prince  to  Acheen,  where 
he  soon  gained  such  an  ascendancy  as  to  manage 
all  public  affairs,  and  was  regarded  by  his  adver- 
saries as  the  greatest  obstacle  to  their  final 
triumph.  But,  as  months  rolled  away  without 
producing  any  decisive  event,  and  the  issue  of 
the  struggle  appeared  still  doubtful  and  distant, 
Sabat  resolved  to  retire.  Whilst  occupied  in 
effecting  his  retreat  he  fell  into  the  hands  of 
Syfoolalim,  who  gave  orders  that  he  should  be 


REV.    THOaiAS    THOMASON.  261 

strictly  imprisoned  on  board  a  vessel,  and  after 
having  made  him  suffer  severely,  he  was  tied  up  in 
a  sack,  and  thrown  into  the  sea. 

*  During  his  detention  Sabat  had  written  sepa- 
rately several  notes  to  Johannes  and  me,  calling 
on  us  to  observe,  that  it  was  with  his  own  blood 
that  he  had  traced  the  characters,  his  enemies 
refusing  him  the  usual  materials.  In  these  notes, 
written  some  in  Persian,  the  others  in  bad  Eng- 
hsh,  he  recited  his  sufferings,  which  he  wished  us 
to  consider  as  the  consequence  of  his  attachment 
to  Christianity,  and  that  he  was  in  some  sense  a 
martyr.  Being  a  Malay  interpreter  belonging  to 
the  local  government,  I  was  the  organ  of  commu- 
nication with  the  states  connected  with  Penang. 
In  addressing  himself  to  me  therefore,  Sabat  hoped 
to  obtain  the  intervention  of  the  government  in  his 
favour ;  as  however  he  was  not  a  British  subject, 
and  possessed  no  right  to  the  protection  of  our 
government,  he  was  disappointed  in  his  expecta- 
tion. Without  loss  of  time  I  made  use  of  my 
private  influence  with  Seyyed  Hosyn  to  ameliorate 
the  captivity  of  Sabat,  if  I  could  not  procure  his 
enlargement.  But  his  intriguing  and  dangerous 
character  was  too  much  dreaded  to  admit  of  his 
freedom,  till  public  tranquillity  was  re-established. 
All  that  I  could  obtain  was  a  promise  that  his  life 
should  be  held  sacred,  that  Hosyn  would  write  to 
his  son  not  to  make  any  attempt  against  it,  and 


262  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

that  he  would  mitigate  the  sufferings  of  his  cap- 
tivity. Whether  the  request  of  the  father  never 
reached  the  son,  or  whether  the  latter  was  only 
more  embittered  against  Sabat  by  these  effects  in 
his  favour  cannot  be  known,  but  I  had  not  the 
success  I  had  desired,  and  some  time  after  we 
learnt  that  the  days  of  the  unfortunate  captive 
had  been  violently  terminated  by  the  frightful 
death  that  has  been  mentioned.' 

The  narrator  of  the  last  scene  in  Sabat's  earthly 
existence  concludes  with  a  hope  that  the  peni- 
tence which  was  signified  in  words  and  signed 
with  the  unhappy  captive's  blood,  did  indeed 
emanate  from  his  very  heart.  Charity  would 
gladly  welcome  the  faintest  ray  that  pierced  or 
seemed  to  pierce  the  gloom  of  such  a  death  as 
that.  He  who  fathoms  the  abyss  of  the  human 
heart,  may  in  his  omniscience  discern  some  pearls 
of  sincerity,  penitence,  and  faith,  where  to  the 
eye  of  man  all  is  darkness  and  despair.  But 
apprehensions  of  tremendous  import  will  force 
themselves  on  the  mind ;  there  is  "  a  certain 
fearful  looking  for  of  judgment  and  fiery  indigna- 
tion which  shall  consume  the  adversaries."  '^  It 
is  a  fearful  thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
living  God." 

A  grateful  relief  it  must  have  proved  to  Mr. 
Thomason's  mind,  and  a  pledge  of  brighter  days 
for  India,  to  have  been  engaged  in  the  summer 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  263 

of  this  year,  in  preparing  the  young  of  his  flock 
for  confirmation,  a  rite  from  which  so  many  have 
dated  the  commencement  of  a  course,  pleasant  and 
peaceful,  in  proportion  to  its  devotedness,  but 
which  for  centuries  had  not  been  administered  in 
any  Indian  church,  based  solely  on  the  word  of 
God.  Cheering  likewise  in  the  extreme,  was  it 
to  one  who  lived  but  to  be  instrumental  in  dif- 
fusing blessings  to  others,  to  succeed  in  founding 
an  estabHshment  for  which  many  an  orphan  in 
this  and  after  ages  will  bless  his  memory. 

The  heart  of  an  orphan  Mr.  Thomason  himself 
knew :  and  he  had  drank  also  into  his  spirit, 
who  said  "  I  will  not  leave  you  comfortless." 
'  The  history  of  the  design  and  state  of  the 
religious  and  charitable  institutions  of  Calcutta,' 
in  referring  to  the  Female  Orphan  Institution, 
contains  this  statement : — '  This  most  interesting 
institution,  owes  its  origin  to  the  vigilant  benev- 
olence of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Thomason :  the  destitute 
condition  of  the  female  orphans  of  the  European 
soldiers  belonging  to  the  King's  regiments, 
attracted  his  notice  and  commisseration.  De- 
prived of  their  natural  protectors,  and  left  to  the 
casual  mercy  of  successive  individuals,  if  they 
escaped  the  dangers  of  infancy,  they  were  ex- 
posed to  the  corrupting  influence  of  scenes  of 
profligacy.  To  preserve  such  friendless  children 
from  contamination,  Mr.  Thomason  proposed   to 


S64  MEMOIR   OF    THE 

the  community  the    establishment  of  the  Female 
Orphan  Asylum,  July  1,  1815.' 

In  the  march  and  triumph  of  every  species 
of  benevolence,  calumny  is  an  attendant.  It  was 
so  in  this  instance :  *some  persons  misconceived, 
others  maligned  the  project:  at  length  however 
its  merits  were  discovered,  and  it  became  '  a 
peculiar  favourite  with  all  classes  of  Europeans.' 
Fourteen  thousand  rupees  in  donations,  and  seven 
thousand  in  casual  subscriptions,  ere  long  were 
received ;  and  of  orphans  admitted,  the  number 
rose  from  ten  to  above  seventy ;  a  spacious  house 
too  and  grounds  were  purchased.  The  Hmitation 
of  the  asylum  to  the  legitimate  offspring  of  Euro- 
peans, was  one  of  the  features  in  the  asylum  that 
gave  offence,  and  a  correspondence  of  a  trying 
description  w^as  the  consequence.  To  the  pious 
but  erroneous  address  of  one  of  the  congregation, 
who  deemed  himself  and  his  half-cast  brethren 
aggrieved  by  some  remarks  on  legitimacy,  Mr. 
Thomason  replied  with  admirable  temper  and 
with  humility,  such  as  a  high  tone  of  religion 
alone  can  produce.  The  letter  of  remonstrance 
is  inserted  with  but  little  curtailment,  in  order 
that  the  spirit  of  the  answer  may  be  fully  appre- 
ciated. A  day  is  coming,  when  to  have  written 
such  a  letter  as  that  of  the  minister  rebuked,  will 
be  of  far  greater  moment  than  to  have  achieved 
wonders    unparalleled    in    literature    or     arms. 


rev.  thomas  thomason.  265 

*  Reverend  Sir, 
*  After  mature  consideration,  I  have  prevailed  on 
myself  to  undertake  the  arduous  task  of  addressing 
a  person  of  your  sacred  office.  It  must  grieve  you 
exceedingly  as  a  Christian  and  a  minister  to  learn 
that  your  late  conduct  has  been  productive  of  much 
mischief.  It  has  caused  contention  and  uneasiness, 
and  the  hearts  of  the  righteous  have  been  perplexed 
to  see  such  inconsistency  in  a  character  so  deserv- 
edly revered  hitherto.  I  sincerely  trust  you  do  not 
need  a  remembrance  of  the  obligations  attached 
to  the  ministerial  office  ;  you  had  always  possessed 
a  shepherd's  heart  as  well  as  a  shepherd's  eye. 
Whence  then  flows  your  present  defection  to  the 
majority  of  your  flock  ?  What  have  we  done  to 
merit  such  severe  reflections  on  a  subject  beyond 
our  power  to  remedy  ?  instead  of  oil,  you  pour 
vinegar  on  our  wounded  hearts.  The  bounds  of 
our  habitation  were  fixed  by  an  omnipotent  arm, 
nor  were  we  in  any  degree  accessory  to  our  own 
existence.  If  sin  is  the  cause  of  your  dislike,  you 
ought  then  as  a  faithful  minister  to  strike  at  the 
fountain  head  of  the  torrent  of  iniquity  so  preval- 
ent here  ;  apparently,  the  fear  of  man  draws  a 
veil  over  the  authors  of  our  misery.  The  poor 
descendants  of  their  shame  and  sin  are  unjustly 
held  forth  as  public  spectacles  of  universal  con- 
tempt and  derision.  Could  you  not  pursue  an 
23 


266  MKMOIU  OF   THE 

object  truly  noble,  and  bestow  your  charity  on 
those  you  deemed  most  worthy,  without  wound- 
ing the  feelings  of  those  from  whom  it  is  your 
pleasure  to  withhold  it?  Allow  me,  Reverend 
Sir,  to  add,  that  in  this  instance  you  have  acted 
unadvisedly.  Beware  of  the  insidious  instigations 
of  those  whose  censorious  conduct  and  harsh 
judgment  of  others  have  always  been  a  source 
of  scandal  to  the  cause  they  profess,  and  have  at 
length  led  our  dear  pastor  into  an  error,  from 
which  we  pray  he  may  soon  be  extricated.  "  Woe 
unto  the  world  because  of  offences,"  by  which  the 
disciples  of  Christ,  (though  poor  and  despised) 
are  discouraged  and  entangled  ;  but  when  minis- 
ters by  their  uncharitable  behaviour  are  the  cause 
of  such  offences,  whereby  the  weak-hearted  are 
stumbled  and  sent  back  to  feed  on  the  husks, 
they  bring  guilt  on  themselves,  and  a  deadness 
and  inefFicacy  on  their  labours,  and  their  usefulness 
slackens.  Those  ministers  especially,  who  out 
of  love  to  the  souls  of  their  fellow-sinners,  have 
determined  not  to  confine  their  scene  of  action 
within  the  limits  of  their  own  native  land,  but  to 
extend  their  labours  of  love  to  this  inhospitable 
clime,  should  come  to  us  divested  of  all  narrow 
prejudices  (which  a  liberal  mind  should  scorn  to 
retain)  against  our  country,  our  colour,  and  our 
manners,  lest  the  operation  of  human  frailty  in  that 
respect  should  prove  a  stumbling-block  to  many. 


REV.    THOMAS    TIIOMASON.  267 

*  Permit  me  to  trespass  a  little  further  on  your 
putiencc.      If  the  ditrusion  of   knowledge  is  uni- 
versally allowed   to   be  of  the  greatest   utility  in 
the  promotion  of  civilization,  as  well  as  in  raising 
the  tone  of   morals   in  societies   and  individuals, 
why   then     should     Mr.    Thomason    decree    the 
country -ijorn  unworthy  of  so  great  a  blessing?     Is 
the  turpitude  of  iniquity  more    inherent  in  them 
than  the  rest  of  Adam's  fallen  race?     If  so,  where 
is  then  the  necessity  of  the  Female  Penitentiary, 
the  Magdalen,  or  tlie  Foundling  Hospital  in  your 
own  country.      If  nature  in  them  is  superior  to 
others,    does    not    education    constitute    the   dis- 
parity ?     If  so,  why  then  deem  it  a  grievance  that 
the  country-born  should  enjoy  the   benefits  of  the 
same  tuition  as  the  children  of  the   Europeans? 
8ince  the  groat  Creator  of  the  universe  has  not 
withholden  the    endowment  of    the  same  mental 
powers,  shall  mortal  man  draw  a   line,  and   pro- 
hibit the  cultivation  of  those  faculties,  which  may 
render  us  useful  members  of  society  ?     Your  own 
personal  knowledge  of  many  of  our  race  must  in 
a   great    measure    point  out  the    Ikllacy   of  such 
opinions.      Do    not    many    of   them  adorn    their 
Christian    profession  by  a  consistent   walk  ?    and 
iiave  not    many   sealed    the   testimony  of    divine 
truth  with    their  exi)iring   breath?    one  but  very 
lately.     Have  not  your  own  pulpit  doctrines  been 
the   reverse  of    those  sentiments    that    are   now 


268  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

disseminated  far  and  wide  ?  To  all  the  charges 
preferred  against  our  race,  I  plead  guilty,  humbly 
conscious  that  the  seed  of  every  sin,  lies  deep  in 
our  breasts  ;  and  if  they  have  not  been  reduced 
into  action,  it  is  entirely  of  grace ;  but  then  the 
records  of  divine  truth  pronounce  all  under  this 
sentence,  "  There  is  none  righteous,  no,  not  one." 
Where  is  boasting  then  ?  it  is  excluded.  Let  us 
drop  the  subject,  and  humbly  wait  our  appointed 
time  ;  it  fast  approaches,  and  ere  long  all  shall  be 
levelled  in  the  dust.     Till  then, 

I  remain,  Reverend  Sir, 

Your  humble  Servant, 

ASIATICUS.' 

Mr.  Thomason's  reply. 

*I  know  not  how  to  express  to  you  adequately 
my  obligations  for  your  truly  Christian  letter. 
The  piety,  the  affection,  the  respect,  the  humility 
which  it  breathes  deeply  affect  me.  You  have 
with  great  delicacy  and  feeling  touched  every 
string  which  can  move  the  heart  of  a  minister  who 
is  at  all  alive  to  his  important  calling.  I  thank 
God  my  heart  is  not  altogether  insensible  to  those 
feelings,  and  I  feel  happy  in  the  opportunity  now 
afforded  of  doing  all  in  my  power  to  remove  the 
misconceptions  upon  which  your  letter  is  founded. 

*  I  say  not  this  without  much  searching  of  heart 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASOX. 


269 


on  the  subject,  and  prayer  that  I  may  be  led  to  a 
clear  discovery  of  my  own  motives,  as  well  as  the 
path  of  duty  on  this  painful  occasion.  Were  I 
really  guilty  of  that  defection  from  the  majority 
of  my  flock,  and  those  severe  reflections  on  the 
class  of  persons  alluded  to  in  your  letter,  I  should 
not  know  how  to  appear  again  in  your  presence 
as  your  pastor ;  for  it  peculiarly  becomes  us  to 
follow  his  example,  whose  tender  mercies  are  over 
all  his  works,  who  is  no  respecter  of  persons,  who 
has  commissioned  us  to  preach  the  gospel  to  all, 
and  to  spread  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ 
with  an  equal  hand,  as  far  as  we  ourselves  are 
acquainted  with  them,  to  high  and  low,  rich  and 
poor,  one  with  another. 

*  Conscious  of  these  sentiments,  I  have  said 
above,  after  much  self-examination,  that  your 
aflfectionate  address  to  me  is  founded  on  miscon- 
ception ;  for  it  supposes  me  either  to  have  lost 
those  feelings  of  regard  which  I  once  had  for  all 
indiscriminately,  or  never  to  have  possessed  them. 

*  That  any  thing  said  or  done  by  me  should 
have  given  occasion  for  such  a  misconception,  I 
shall  consider  always  as  one  of  the  greatest 
calamities  of  my  life  ;  for  I  desire,  above  all 
things,  to  live  for  the  gospel  of  Christ,  and  such 
a  misunderstanding  must  prove  a  great  barrier  to 
my  future  usefulness,  if  it  be  not  removed.  But 
as  my  heart  acquits  me,  which  your  letter  has 

23* 


270  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

led  me  closely  to  examine,  and  that  with  many- 
tears,  I  cannot  but  feel  a  strong  hope  that  the 
same  Christian  principles  and  feelings  which 
pervade  yoin^  address  to  me,  will  accompany  you 
in  reading  tliis  address  to  tjou,  which  is  intended 
as  a  simple  and  affectionate  explanation  of  w^hat 
has  passed. 

'  The  thought  of  a  European  Female  Asylum, 
was  suggested  not  by  any  proud  or  censorious 
individuals,  but  by  an  actual  view  of  the  state 
of  things  in  our  progress  up  and  down  the  country. 
The  destitute  condition  of  those  orphans  presented 
itself  to  us  on  so  many  occasions,  and  was  men- 
tioned by  so  many  persons  acquainted  with  the 
King's  regiments,  that  we  could  not  but  consider 
them  as  peculiar  objects  of  compassion  ;  and  the 
reasons  mentioned  in  the  proposals  for  an  Asylum 
occurred  very  forcibly  to  my  mind,  as  constituting 
the  grounds  of  a  new  institution  for  the  reception 
of  such  orphans.  I  can  truly  say,  as  before  God, 
that  my  only  motive  in  this  selection  was  charity 
to  the  most  distressed  and  most  exposed.  A  large 
institution  for  the  reception  of  orphans  was  never 
contemplated ;  the  object  appearing  too  great, 
and  not  so  immediately  necessary.  This  seemed 
to  afford  a  limited  sphere  of  important  usefulness 
which  might  be  occupied  without  any  very  ex- 
tensive support.  Other  advantages  besides  that 
of  bestowing  charity,  did  afterwards  appear  con- 


REV.    THOMAS   THOMASON.  271 

nected  with  the  plan ;  the  most  important  was, 
the  prevention  as  far  as  its  operation  should 
extend,  of  the  forming  of  connections  with  native 
Hindoo  and  Mussulman  women.  In  performing 
any  thing,  however  trifling,  which  strikes  at  the 
fountain  of  the  torrent  of  iniquity,  it  appeared 
that  so  far  important  good  was  done  to  society. 
And  though  I  confess  the  clause  in  the  proposals 
respecting  these  connections  does  admit  of  a 
collateral  interpretation  of  another  kind,  yet  the 
general  reasoning  clearly  shows  that  the  thing 
aimed  at  was  the  encouragement  of  a  legitimate 
offspring.  This,  I  am  quite  sure,  was  all  I 
intended  ;  and  grieved  I  am  to  find  that  the  least 
handle  should  have  been  given  to  £iny  other 
construction.  The  reflections  connected  with  the 
existing  establishments  were  meant  solely  in 
reference  to  those  institutions,  not  at  all  as  general 
remarks  universally  applicable ;  nor  were  they 
intended  to  be  brought  before  the  public.  In  the 
proposals  when  published,  nothing  was  intended 
to  appear  which  could  oflend  the  nicest  feelings, 
or  be  construed  by  the  remotest  interpretation  into 
an  uncharitable  reflection  on  others. 

*  When  therefore  you  say  '  Could  you  not 
pursue  an  object  truly  noble  and  bestow  your 
charity  on  those  you  deemed  most  worthy  without 
wounding  the  feelings  of  those  from  whom  it  is 
your    pleasure    to  withhold    it,'    my  answer   is. 


272  ME3I0IR    OF   THE 

*that  I  could, — that  I  ought  to  have  done  so, — 
that  it  was  my  full  intention  to  do  so.'  But  as 
contrary  to  all  my  wishes,  that  has  been  made 
public  which  was  communicated  only  to  a  few,  it 
remains  for  me  now  to  acknowledge  my  fault, 
which  I  do  with  real  sorrow,  humbling  myself 
before  God  and  before  you.  I  lament  exceedingly 
that  a  case  which  originated  in  charity  and  in  a 
sense  of  duty  should  have  been  connected  with 
any  thing  calculated  to  give  offence  to  one  of  the 
least  of  Christ's  flock ;  and  I  feel  (what  you  in 
your  allusion  to  that  scripture  tenderly  left  out) 
"  that  it  were  better  a  mill-stone  were  hung 
about  my  neck  and  I  was  cast  into  the  sea,  than " 
that  I  should  offend  one  of  the  least  of  these 
little  ones." 

'  May  I  not  hope  that  I  shall  be  forgiven  by 
them  ?  Does  it  not  belong  to  the  character  of  the 
little  ones  of  Christ's  flock  to  forgive,  especially 
when  the  intention  to  give  offence  is  solemnly 
disclaimed,  and  unfeigned  sorrow  is  expressed  for 
having  occasioned  the  offence  ?  I  might  appeal, 
before  you  who  have  known  me  so  long,  to  my 
past  life,  to  the  whole  tenour  of  my  ministerial 
conduct.  I  might  ask  also  whether  I  do  not 
hold  in  great  honour,  and  esteem,  and  affection, 
many  of  those  persons  on  whom  you  suppose  me 
to  have  cast  reflection ;  and  whether  I  am  not  in 
habits  of  close   pastoral  friendship   with    them  ? 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  273 

Could  I  intentionally  wound  them  whom  I  regard 
amongst  the  chief  props  of  my  ministry,  and  my 
most  valued  friends  ?  But  I  dare  not  look  back 
on  what  is  past ;  being  fully  sensible  that  the 
claims  of  my  people  on  my  love  and  fidelity,  have 
never  been  discharged  as  they  ought  to  have 
been.  I  see  so  much  that  has  been  defective, 
so  much  that  has  been  inconsistent,  so  much  that 
has  been  defiled,  that  I  can  only  acknowledge  my 
transgressions,  and  cast  myself  on  the  tender 
mercies  of  my  God.  Nor  dare  I  promise  any 
thing  for  the  future,  for  I  have  no  strength  to 
promise,  but  can  only  say  that  I  hope  with  God's 
gracious  assistance,  to  convince  all  who  are 
pastorally  connected  with  me,  "how  greatly  I 
long  after  them  in  the  bowels  of  Jesus  Christ." 
Let  me  intreat  you  to  aid  me,  not  only  by  your 
prayers,  but  by  your  labours  of  love.  If  there 
be  any  thing  of  a  corresponding  return  of  aflfection 
in  you,  this  breach  must  be  soon  healed.  Allow 
me  therefore,  to  charge  you  as  you  value  the 
ministry  of  the  gospel,  as  you  desire  the  welfare 
of  immortal  souls,  and  would  promote  the  honour 
of  your  God,  not  to  yield  to  the  tempter.  He 
wishes  to  separate  the  flock.  Be  it  our  care,  by 
all  practicable  means  as  much  as  lieth  in  us,  to 
keep  together,  to  soften,  to  alleviate,  to  rectify, 
to  heal,  and  in  one  word  to  love.  Oh,  let  us 
cover  all  with  the  mande  of  love;    "that  love 


274  MEMOIIl    OF   THE 

which  suffereth  long,  and  is  kind,  which  beareth 
all  things,  believeth  all  things,  hopeth  all  things, 
endureth  all  things." 

*  Once   more,   accept   of    my  thanks  for   your 
truly    Christian    letter,    and   for  the    opportunity 
which  it  has  given  me  of  assuring  you  that  I  am 
Your  affectionate  friend  and  minister, 

Thomas  Thomason.' 

That  days  of  new  and  unwonted  lustre  were 
about  to  dawn  on  India,  the  least  sanguine  might 
anticipate,  when  in  two  successive  years  the  Chris- 
tian youth  were  seen  preparing  to  receive  con- 
firmation from  their  Bishop,  and  the  Hindoo 
population  of  the  same  age  were  assembled  for 
instruction  in  English  literature,  in  an  institution 
originated  and  maintained  by  wealthy  and  learned 
natives.  Such  an  establishment  without  having 
any  direct  bearing  on  the  promotion  of  Chris- 
tianity, could  not  but  be  ultimately  conducive 
to  it ;  nor  was  its  existence  in  Calcutta  unimport- 
ant, proving  as  it  did  every  hour  of  its  duration, 
that  the  fears  of  worldly-minded  alarmists  were 
spectres  of  their  own  imagination.  Mr.  Thomason 
has  furnished  an  account  of  this  society  ;  which, 
however,  indebted  it  might  have  been  to  one,  who 
had  long  combated  prejudices  adverse  to  its 
obJ3ct,  and  had  urged  Education  incessantly  on  the 
consciences  of  those  in  authority,  "tarried  not  for 


REV.    TII03IAS    THOMASON.  275 

man,  nor  waited  for  the  sons  of  men."  Its  forma- 
tion was  sudden  and  unexpected ;  and  so  solid 
was  it,  that  when  some  of  its  supports  were 
removed  violently  and  prematurely,  it  still  stood 
erect  and  unshaken.  '  I  must  enlarge  on  a  subject 
hastily  mentioned  in  my  last  letter,  the  Hindoo 
College.  The  great  subject  of  schools  for  natives 
has  been  gradually  opening  since  I  returned  from 
my  journey  with  Lord  Moira.  The  subject  has 
not  only  been  discussed  by  Europeans,  but  at 
length  gained  the  attention  of  the  natives.  I  have 
been  several  times  applied  to  by  them,  and 
intreated  to  prepare  a  plan  for  a  College  for  the 
Hindoos.  But  grown  wiser  by  experience,  I 
have  constantly  declined  moving  myself,  referring 
them  to  the  Chief  Justice,  as  the  most  efficient 
promoter  of  their  wishes.  I  discovered  that 
government  are  afraid  of  chaplains  engaging  in  a 
work  of  education.  At  length  some  of  the  prin- 
cipal natives  applied  to  Sir  E.  East,  entreating 
him  to  assist  them,  and  requesting  his  patronage. 
He  consented — called  a  meeting  of  the  rich 
natives — formed  a  Committee — chose  secretaries. 
Sir  Edward  was  desired  to  be  president.  Mr. 
Harrington  vice-president.  They  accepted  the 
offer.  In  the  meantime  our  timid  Governor, 
apprehensive  that  the  appearance  of  the  Chief 
Justice  and  Mr.  Harrington  at  the  head  of  the 
college,  might   be  construed    into  an  attempt  of 


276  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

Government  to  convert  the  natives,  signified  to 
Mr.  Harrington  tiiat  he  should  withdraw.  He 
did  so,  and  Sir  Edward  East  also,  to  the  great 
surprise  and  grief  of  those  who  had  embarked  in 
the  work.  Notwithstanding  this  unpropitious 
circumstance,  the  matter  went  on.  The  plan  of 
the  college  has  been  digested  after  much  consul- 
tation, and  it  will  be  adopted  by  a  general  meet- 
ing of  the  Committee.  Subscriptions  to  the 
amount  of  10,000Z.  have  been  received,  and 
hopes  are  entertained  that  more  will  flow  in, 
when  the  plan  shall  be  promulgated.  The  object 
is  precisely  that  which  I  described  in  the  plan 
submitted  to  Lord  Moira :  to  instruct  the  natives 
in  the  English  language,  literature,  and  sciences. 
It  will  be  divided  into  two  parts,  the  school  and 
the  college ;  the  former  preparatory  to  the  latter. 
The  professed  object  of  the  college  is  to  open  all 
the  treasures  of  the  English  language  to  the  inhabi- 
tants of  India.  One  hundred  pupils  only  will 
be  admitted  at  first.  Is  not  all  this  wonderful ! 
You  in  England  wonder  at  Buonaparte  at  St. 
Helena.  We  in  India  at  a  Hindoo  college  in 
Bengal.  I  do  most  unfeignedly  rejoice  in  all  my 
disappointment.  It  was  good  that  Lord  Moira 
declined  to  act,  and  that  the  Government  were 
unwilling  to  attend  to  my  proposal.  The  same 
thing  has  now  been  done  more  unobjectionably. 
The  natives  have  proposed  the  thing,  they  have 


REV.    THOMAS  THOMASON.  277 

entreated  the  Government  to  allow  them  to  do 
of  themselves  and  amongst  themselves  what  I  had 
suggested  to  be  done  by  Government  as  a  part  of 
its  duty.  Thus  no  suspicion  can  be  excited,  all  is 
fair  and  open,  even  our  enemies  themselves  being 
judges.  Now  let  this  engine  begin  its  work,  and 
may  our  gracious  God  command  His  blessing ! 
So  great  is  the  conviction  that  clergymen  should 
have  nothing  to  do  with  the  college,  the  bishop's 
subscription  has  been  for  the  present  declined. 
The  Secretary  chosen  for  the  college  is  a  constant 
hearer  of  mine,  a  candid,  affectionate  friend, 
admirably  suited  for  managing  natives ;  he  will 
act  as  superintendent.  On  the  whole,  nothing 
could  have  happened  more  favourably.  The 
Europeans  look  on  with  contempt  or  surprise. 
They  who  despise  the  plan  are  more  hostile  than 
the  Indians  themselves :  they  who  wonder 
scarcely  know  how  to  believe  what  they  hear  and 
see.  Even  the  few  who  approve  are  not  aware 
of  what  is  going  forward :  they  have  no  idea  of 
the  magnitude  of  what  they  are  commencinor.  For 
my  own  part,  I  feel  solemnized  with  a  sense  of 
what  God  has  done,  and  with  the  expectation  of 
what  He  is  doing.' 

Such  was   the  origin  and  consummation  of  a 

work  which  will  form  an  epoch  in  Indian  history, 

inasmuch   as  on   Indian  character,   it   must  have 

powerful  and  permanent  effects.     A  suggestion 

24 


278  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

of  the  possibility  of  such  a  project  twenty  years 
before,  would  have  been  treated  as  chimerical  in 
the  extreme;  its  achievement  in  1816  surpassed 
the  expectations  of  those  who  were  most  ardent  in 
desiring  the  diffusion  of  knowledge  in  the  east.  The 
boast  of  pagan  politicians  that  they  commanded 
events,  is  as  directly  opposed  to  experience,  as  it 
is  to  revelation.  When  was  it  more  clearly  seen 
that  man  is  only  a  dependant,  secondary  agent, 
than  in  the  construction  of  the  Hindoo  College? 
It  might  seem  that  Lord  Moira  had  only  to  waive 
the  sceptre  of  power,  and  that  such  a  college 
would  have  risen  as  by  magic ;  but  so  little  did  he 
dare  to  attempt  anything  of  the  sort,  that  he 
could  not  divest  himself  of  official  trepidation 
when  it  appeared ;  yet  favouring  education  as 
he  did,  the  fact  could  neither  be  concealed,  nor 
transpire  without  beneficial  result.  Mr.  Thom- 
ason  who  had  been  deputed  to  draw  up  a  plan 
for  the  instruction  of  the  people,  met  with  no 
immediate  success ;  yet  his  preparation  of  the 
plan,  his  persevering  advocacy  of  education,  his 
ventilation  of  the  question  through  the  length 
and  bread  of  the  land,  his  advice  finally  to  the 
natives  when  they  put  themselves  in  motion, 
could  not  but  be  signally  influential.  Others 
likewise  in  different  modes  and  degrees  were 
instrumental  towards  this  design ;  but  blind  must 
he  be  who  does  not  discern  here  a  superior  wis- 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  279 

dom    presiding,    without    which    nothing   would 
have  been  accomphshed. 

The  Hterary  union  of  Hindoos  in  Calcutta  led 
soon  to  a  combination  amongst  Christians,  in 
which  Mr.  Thomason,  if  not  a  prime  mover,  was 
at  least  an  efficient  agent.  It  was  termed  the 
School-book  Society ;  its  object  being  to  furnish 
the  natives  with  books  proper  for  elementary 
instruction.  But  more  direct  measures  for  over- 
throwing the  strong  holds  of  Heathenism  were 
in  action.  In  the  year  1817,  the  Church  Mis- 
sionary Society  gained  a  firm  position,  and 
presented  an  extended  and  bold  front  in  Calcutta. 
Mr.  Thomason  became  its  secretary  in  the  com- 
mencement of  that  year  ;  and  towards  its  conclu- 
sion, he  speaks  with  animation  and  joy  of 
Missionary  Meetings  in  his  Church,  and  amongst 
his  congregation,  in  which  as  a  matter  of  almost 
necessary  consequence,  the  number  of  serious 
hearers  multiplied. 

Feh.  24.  We  have  this  account; — *  We  have 
begun  our  missionary  operations  in  print  ;  for 
the  first  time  two  of  our  highest  civilians 
shew  their  faces  to  the  Indian  public  in  con- 
nection with  a  professedly  missionary  institu- 
tion. The  Lord  be  praised !  The  secretary- 
ship has  just  devolved  upon  me,  and  more  than 
employs  me ;  I  cannot  get  through  all  my 
work.'    In  the  month  of  October  of  the  same 


280  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

year :  *  We  have  established  a  monthly  missionary 
prayer-meeting  at  my  church.  Missionary  com- 
munications are  read,  and  prayer  is  offered  up  for 
missionary  prosperity.  Ten  years  ago,  such  an 
event  vi^ould  have  thrown  the  settlement  into  an 
uproar.'  Under  this  accession  of  duty  it  was 
no  wonder,  especially  as  his  assistant  had  been 
removed  from  him  by  the  Bishop,  that  he  should 
be  more  than  ever  importunate  with  his  Christian 
friends  in  England  for  help.  His  labours  in  fact 
were  such  as  nothing  but  an  unusual  increase 
of  work  and  dearth  of  workmen  would  have 
justified.  As  a  translator,  he  completed  a  version 
of  the  Psalms  into  Persian,  not  knowing  probably 
that  the  same  thing  had  been  done  by  H.  Martyn, 
at  Sheraz ;  he  was  engaged  also  in  the  revision 
of  the  Arabic  Old  Testament ;  on  him  also, 
the  printing  of  the  Arabic  New  Testament,  as 
well  as  of  H.  Martyn's  Persian  New  Testament, 
devolved.  These  duties  were  superadded  to  his 
pastoral  employments,  and  almost  daily  demands 
were  made  upon  him  by  the  various  Committees 
of  religious,  charitable,  or  literary  societies ;  so 
that  he  may  justly  be  described  as  in  "  labours 
abundant."  I  am  filled  with  astonishment,'  he 
says,  '  at  the  opening  scenes  of  usefulness, — send  us 
labourers — send  us  faithful  laborious  labourers. 
Being  obliged  to  undertake  so  many  departments, 
renders  me  sadly  inefficient.      Preaching,   trans- 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  281 

lating,  writing  letters,  attending  committees,  all  is 
feebly  and  anprofitably  done.' 

The  view  which  the  Bishop  took  of  the  Church 
of  England  Missionaries  in  India  precluded  Mr. 
Thomason,  however  oppressed,  from  obtaining 
relief  from  their  services.  Though  regularly 
ordained  ministers  of  the  church  of  England,  they 
were  not  permitted  to  officiate  in  any  of  the 
churches,  an  inhibition  which  as  the  Bishop  made 
it  imperative  on  Mr.  Thomason  to  administer  the 
sacrament  to  numerous  communicants  separately 
and  individually,  was  •  peculiarly  trying.  Some 
aid  he  did  receive,  and  with  it  no  small  measure 
of  spiritual  refreshment,  on  Mr.  Corrie's  return  to 
India  in  the  middle  of  1817 ;  in  Mr.  Parson  also, 
who  was  statedly  fixed  at  the  Presidency,  he  had 
a  brother  indeed.  But  long  was  the  period  during 
which  he  had  to  sustain  a  pressure  which  could 
not  but  be  attended  with  ultimate  injury  to  his 
health,  and  which  no  doubt  undermined  his 
constitution.  The  noble  and  Christian  efforts 
which  in  the  succeeding  year  1818,  Bishop 
Middleton  made  in  behalf  of  India,  rendered 
Mr.  Thomason's  occupation  still  more  onerous. 
He  could  not  see  his  diocesan  putting  forth  his 
energies  for  the  benefit  of  millions  of  heathen, 
without  endeavouring  to  second  them  to  the 
utmost,  not  merely  by  the  cheapest  of  all  modes 
of  co-operation,  pecuniary  contribution,  and  by 
24* 


282 


MEMOIR   OF    THE 


the  most  spiritual  of  all — fervent  supplications — 
but  also  by  vigorous  personal  exertion.  He 
tasked  himself  w^ith  the  acquisition  of  the 
Bengalee  language,  that  he  might  be  in  a  better 
condition  to  take  part  in  his  Lordship's  design 
of  imparting  Christian  knowledge  to  an  immense 
population ;  and,  in  compliance  with  his  views, 
engaged  to  edit  Euclid  in  Arabic. 

'  To  the  joy  of  many,'  he  writes,  '  our  Bishop 
has  come  forward  in  behalf  of  the  heathen.  The 
public  was  moved — a  School  Committee  formed — 
a  noble  fund  raised  for  school  purposes  !  What 
could  the  heart  desire  more  ?  We  are  not 
straightened  for  means  or  for  patronage,  we  want 
only  instruments.  As  a  member  of  the  School 
Committee,  I  have  felt  it  my  duty  to  rise  to  the 
great  occasion,  and  have  laid  my  shoulders  to  the 
work  and  have  for  some  time  past  been  busily 
employed  in  learning  the  Bengalee  language, 
organizing  schools,  examining  classes,  looking  out 
for  teachers.  The  Bishop's  chaplain  is  the  only 
one  who  takes  an  active  part  in  our  Committee. 
He  is  in  fact  the  secretary ;  but  as  he  always 
travels  with  the  Bishop,  he  leaves  me  to  act  for 
him  as  secretary  to  the  Diocesan  Committee ; 
and  thus  I  have  for  months  together  the  concerns 
of  the  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  knowledge 
upon  my  hands.  Now  that  they  have  come 
publicly    forward  in  the  cause  of  the  heathen, 


REV.    THOMAS    TIIOMASON.  283 

I  rejoice  and  feel  it  -an  honour  to  serve  them.  By 
throwing  in  all  nny  little  influence,  and  using  all 
my  exertion  for  them,  I  am  enabled  to  help  for- 
ward a  mighty  instrument  of  good ;  and  truly  it  is 
a  matter  of  rejoicing  that  the  great  and  gay 
amongst  us  have  been  forward  to  give  their  silver 
and  gold  at  the  call  of  the  Bishop.  I  am  the 
more  particular  in  detailing  this,  as  my  services 
will  do  so  much  in  the  line  of  that  Society  that 
some  persons  at  a  distance  might  be  tempted  to 
think  I  had  deserted  the  Church  Missionary 
Society.  In  the  prevalence  of  party  spirit,  which 
so  unhappily  exists,  it  is  very  hard  to  reason  with 
peifect  Christian  liberality.  It  is  a  matter  of  little 
consequence  who  does  the  good,  provided  good 
be  done ;  and  when  our  own  church  comes  for- 
ward, and  summons  the  public  to  help,  it  appears 
to  me  the  call  of  duty  and  honour  to  rally  round 
her.  Should  we  not  spring  round  her  to  assist 
with  our  labour,  and  prayers,  and  influence  ? 
My  own  decided  opinion  is,  that  the  Church 
Missionary  Society  should  give  up  to  the  Bishop 
all  the  schools  that  he  will  accept ;  his  Society 
would  be  greatly  helped  forward  by  the  supply 
of  materials  ready  manufactured,  and  the  Church 
Missionary  Society  would  have  its  funds  dis- 
posable for  direct  missionary  work.  But  we 
want  men — that  precious  commodity.  The  same 
individuals  are  too  much  divided  in  their  attention. 


284  MEMOIR   OF    THE 

Meanwhile  our  dissenting  brethren  are  accu- 
mulating fast  around  us.  At  this  moment  we  have 
ten  dissenting  ministers  of  different  kinds  con- 
stantly labouring  in  Calcutta — their  presses  are 
at  work — their  legs — their  lungs — all  are  engaged 
in  the  great  and  good  cause,' 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON  285 


CHAPTER  XL 

He  who  had  seen  with  interest  and  thankfulness 
the  rise  and  progress  of  the  Hindoo  College,  could 
not  but  rejoice  exceedingly  in  that  splendid  project 
of  Bishop  Middleton,  the  institution  of  a  college  for 
missionaries  at  Calcutta,  which  was  made  public 
in  1819,  and  which,  with  an  internal  administra- 
tion correspondent  to"  its  grand  design,  will  be 
fraught  with  benefits  to  India  beyond  human 
calculations.  About  the  time  this  plan  transpired, 
Mr.  Thomason  himself  began  to  carry  on  an 
arduous  and  admirable  work,  of  which  H.  Martyn 
had  laid  a  foundation — the  translation  of  the 
Old  Testament  into  Hindoostanee.  A  rough  and 
incomplete  manuscript  left  by  H.  Martyn,  was  in 
Mr.  Thomason's  possession,  who  undertook  not 
simply  to  revise — that  would  not  have  sufficed — 
but  to  recast  the  version,  a  task  to  which  few 
could  bring  a  competent  slock  of  oriental  learning 
— fewer  still  an  adequate  share  of  self-denying 
perseverance.  The  Arabic  and  Persian  versions 
which  had  occupied  Mr.  Thomason  were  now  off 
his    hands,  and    he   was    able    to    give    himself 


286 


MEMOIR   OF   THE 


wholly  to  the  Hindoostanee  Old  Testament;  and 
is  it  too  much  to  affirm  that  next  to  the  honour 
put  upon  these  holy  men  of  old,  who  spake  as 
they  were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  who 
were  the  medium  of  an  inspired  communication 
to  their  fellow  creatures — is  that  of  faithfully 
transferring  the  words  of  infallibility  into  the 
language  of  some  vast  and  populous  nation,  to 
which  the  living  oracles  of  God  are  unknown? 
Translation  it  is  that  openeth  the  window  to  let 
in  the  light — that  breaketh  the  shell  that  we  may 
eat  the  kernel — that  putteth  aside  the  curtain  that 
we  may  look  into  the  most  holy  place — that 
removeth  the  cover  of  the  well,  that  we  may  come 
by  the  water :  we  desire,  say  our  translators* — 
that  the  scripture  may  speak  like  itself  in  the 
language  of  Canaan,  that  it  may  be  understood 
even  by  the  very  vulgar.  With  sentiments  and 
motives  analogous  to  these,  Mr.  Thomason  entered 
upon  his  great  undertaking  in  behalf  of  the  in- 
habitants of  Hindoostan. 

At  the  dawn  of  the  year  1820,  a  liberal  grant 
from  the  government  of  £300  per  annum,  to 
the  Orphan  Asylum,  was  most  cheering  to  Mr. 
Thomason.  Great  was  his  encouragement  also 
in  finding  the  heart  and  mind  of  bis  valued 
friend  Mr.   Simeon  in  perfect    unison  with  his 

♦  See  Preface  to  the  Bible. 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  287 

own  in  all  he  had  done  and  was  then  doing. 
By  him  he  was  thus  animated  to  persist  in 
his  course.  '  Every  work  in  which  you  engage 
is  so  much  to  my  heart  and  mind,  that  my  soul 
appears  to  be  cast  into  the  very  same  mould  with 
yours.  I  cannot  approve  of  the  egotism  of  the 
Christian  world — if  that  disposition  savour  of  zeal, 
it  does  not  breathe  love.  Why  should  w^e  be 
pleased  with  nothing  but  what  suits  our  own 
taste.'  Referring  then  to  Mr.  Thomason's  cautious 
method  of  proceeding ;  he  adds  in  commendation 
of  it — '  could  not  Jehovah  have  revealed  every 
thing  as  plainly  by  Moses,  as  by  the  Lord  Jesus  ? 
Could  not  our  blessed  Lord  have  spoken  more 
intelligibly  than  by  parables,  and  Paul  have 
gone  at  once  to  perfection,  instead  of  dwelling  so 
much  on  the  first  principles  of  the  oracles  of 
God  ?  But  the  object  was  to  give  that,  which  in 
existing  circumstances,  was  fittest  for  the  recip- 
ients. With  such  examples  before  us,  let  us  not 
be  grieved,  if  we  be  blamed  for  treading  in  their 
steps.  The  Christian  community  amongst  you, 
as  well  as  the  native  population,  needed  caution 
and  sobriety  to  be  exercised  towards  them. 
The  concurrence  of  the  Christian  world  will  pave 
the  way  for  still  further  exertions,  and  accelerate 
your  ultimate  objects  far  more  than  any  prema- 
ture efforts  of  your  own.  I  trust  the  time  is  not 
far  distant,  when   multitudes  of  the  natives  will 


MEMOIR    OF   THE 

"  drink  water  with  joy  out  of  the  wells  of  salva- 
tion." The  transmission  of  another  child  to 
England  this  year, — that  sacrifice  on  the  altar 
of  affection,  which  Christian  parents  in  India 
must  make, — inflicted  many  a  pang  in  the  bosoms 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomason ;  but  never,  perhaps, 
were  their  bosoms  so  acutely  wounded,  never 
certainly  by  any  event  out  of  the  immediate  circle 
of  their  own  relations,  as  by  a  disaster  in  the 
following  year.  Ever  ready  to  open  his  house  and 
heart  to  the  distressed,  Mr.  Thomason  who,  not 
long  before,  had  adopted  into  his  family  an 
orphan  child,  now  received  under  his  roof  a 
widow,  whose  bereavement  was  bitter  almost 
beyond  former  precedent.  The  narrative  he  has 
given  can  scarcely  be  read,  notwithstanding  the  in- 
terval that  has  occurred  of  time  and  that  of  space, 
without  an  unusual  demand  upon  the  reader's  sen- 
sibilities.    "  Captain  C is  with  us.     Mrs. 

is  also  arrived ;  but,  alas !  the  mention  of  her 
name  is  so  connected  with  sorrow  and  deep 
affliction,  that  our  hearts  are  torn  with  the  recol- 
lection. She  came  here  a  few  days  ago;  her 
husband  had  come  down  the  country  a  few  weeks 
before,  and  had  occupied  the  same  room  which  is 

now  filled  by  Captain  C ;  he  proceeded  down 

the  river  to  meet  her,  and  arrived  at  Saugur, 
where  the  ships  anchor.  A  gale  springing  up, 
he  proceeded  to  Kedgeree  ;  but  before  he  reached 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  289 

it,  his  vessel  was  upset  !  He  and  his  friend, 
Captain  — —,  who  accompanied  him,  have  not 
since  been  heard  of.  The  last  that  was  seen 
of  them,  as  related  by  one  of  the  survivors  was, 
that  he  was  on  the  hen-coop  floating  amongst  the 
waves.  It  blew  hard.  In  the  night  it  was  a 
hurricane.  Two  persons  only,  out  of  twenty-six, 
reached  the  shore.  Since  that,  four  others  were 
drifted  to  the  land,  at  a  place  nearly  twenty  miles 
from  the  spot  where  the  accident  happened. 
Two  died  immediately  on  landing.  They  had 
floated  two  days  and  one  night,  tossed  about  by 
the  tides.  The  two  survivors  relate,  that  when 
they  last  saw  the  two  gentlemen,  they  were  taking 
oflf  their  clothes  on  the  hen-coop.  The  bad 
weather  that  followed,  and  the  days  that  have 
since   elapsed,   leave  no  hope.     Only  two  days 

after  the  catastrophe,  the  ship  with  Mrs. on 

board,  stood  into  the  river  from  sea.  On  that 
very  day  we  heard  of  the  event.  Mrs.  Thomason 
determined  to  go  down  the  river  to  meet  Mrs. 

.      She   arrived   here.      It  was  a   dreadful 

scene.  I  never  witnessed  such  heart-rending 
agony.  It  was  long  before  she  could  weep.  We 
are  striving  by  every  tender  and  aflfectionate 
attention,  to  assist  this  poor  widow  in  her  distress. 
Never  has  this  settlement  been  more  generally 
aflfected,  as  on  this  sad  occasion.  The  circum- 
stance of  the  case  came  home  to  every  bosom, 
25 


290  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

A  wife  anxiously  advancing  to  rejoin  her  hus- 
band— the  husband  eagerly  proceeding  to  embrace 
his  wife,  and  in  his  eagerness,  running  to  his 
destruction  !  On  Sunday  morning  I  endeavoured 
to  call  the  attention  of  the  congregation  to  that 
great,  and  universal,  and  sudden  surprise  which 
will  take  place  in  the  days  of  the  Son  of  man, 
— as  I  above  said,  was  some  weeks  near  me.  I 
had  many  opportunities  of  seeing  him  in  private. 
We  all  perceived  an  evident  change  in  him 
for  the  better ;  he  took  pleasure  in  good  reading, 
and  loved  to  join  in  good  conversation.  The 
change  was  attributable  under  God,  to  letters 
received  from  his  own  wife  whilst  in  England ; 
she  had  received  much  good,  and  wrote  in  a  strain 
that  was  unusual.  These  letters  drew  his  atten- 
tion to  religious  books  long  neglected,  and  he  was 
under  considerable  religious  impression  when  he 
came  to  us.  He  opened  his  mind  to  me — spoke 
of  having  too  much  neglected  the  most  important 
concerns,  and  consulted  me  about  his  future 
course  ;  at  this  juncture  the  arrival  of  the  wished- 
for  ship  was  announced.  Events  of  this  kind 
dissipate  the  thoughts  of  the  most  grave — it 
cannot  be  a  surprise  then,  that  he  should  have 
been  taken  up  in  engaging  a  house,  getting  a 
boat,  and  setting  off  to  the  ship.  Some  days 
before  the  ship  could  be  expected,  he  hastened 
his  departure.     It  was  the  time  of  the  year  when 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  291 

great  caution  should  have  been  used,  because  it 
was  at  the  breaking  up  of  the  Monsoon.  He 
promised  he  would  go  no  farther  than  Diamond 
harbour ;  but  the  fineness  of  the  weather  tempted 
him,  and  he  proceeded  to  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
and  we  have  seen  him  no  more  !  The  recollec- 
tion of  his  manifestly  altered  character  has 
been  a  source  of  comfort  to  us — he  was  always 
mild,  amiable,  diffident,  good-tempered — but 
on  this  occasion  he  was  serious,  and  I  cannot 
but  entertain  a  strong  hope  that  the  Lord  may 
have  been  graciously  preparing  his  mind  for  an 
event  which  he  himself  so  little  foresaw.  Who 
can  tell  what  passed  whilst  he  was  cHnging  to 
the  hen-coop  ?  It  is  consoling  to  know  that 
the  Lord  is  gracious  and  all-sufficient,  and  I 
dwell  with  real  delight  on  the  circumstances  of 
our  late  intercourse.' 

Few  deaths  can  be  conceived  of  a  more  tenderly 
affecting  character  than  this,  which  was  followed 
by  two  others  singularly  impressive  in  the  next  and 
the  succeeding  year — and  which,  like  the  former, 
spoke  to  all  in  accents  unusually  piercing.  The 
one  was  the  decease  of  the  Bishop  of  Calcutta, 
the  other  that  of  the  Chief  Justice  of  Bengal. 
Of  Bishop  Middleton,  Mr.  Thomason  remarks — 
*  he  lived  to  do  much  good — good  of  a  progressive 
character — the  College  originated  with  him,  which 
promises  to  be  of  vast  importance  to  India.     He 


393  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

died  after  an  illness  of  four  or  five  days  only. 
Yesterday  week  the  clergy  dined  with  him — he 
was  cheerful  as  usual — had  just  returned  to  his 
house  after  it  had  undergone  a  thorough  repair, 
and  seemed  to  bid  fair  for  a  long  life,  being  a 
remarkably  athletic  man.  His  disease  was  fever. 
He  had  been  greatly  injured  in  many  ways — few 
only  knew  how  to  appreciate  him.  I  saw  his 
body  after  dissection ;  the  doctor  could  discover 
no  physical  cause  for  his  death.  It  was  a  humil- 
iating sight — my  heart  sunk  within  me.  It 
was  an  awful  spectacle — a  flood  of  light  seemed 
to  burst  in  upon  my  soul  whilst  I  looked,  I 
pray  that  the  lessons  of  that  scene  may  not  be 
forgotten.  Mrs.  Thomason  has  been  all  day  with 
Mrs.  Middleton  to  assist  and  be  useful — she  goes 
with  equal  cheerfulness  and  serenity  to  the  high 
and  low — her  value  is  known  by  all.' 

The  death-bed  of  Sir  Henry  Blosset,  the 
Chief  Justice,  Mr.  Thomason  attended  minis- 
terially ;  and  for  the  sake  of  a  near  relation  in 
England,  drew  up  an  account  of  that  most  striking 
scene.  The  insertion  of  large  extracts  from  his 
recital,  it  would  be  unpardonable  to  omit.  They 
teach  the  Christian  parent  what  may  be  expected 
from  continuance  in  prayer;  they  exhibit  the 
Redeemer  as  the  Prince  of  life  in  the  very  midst 
of  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death. 


REV.    THOMAS    TH03IAS0N.  293 

Calcutta,  February  '2nd,  1823. 
'  Dear  Madam, 

*  It  is  not  without  emotions  of  a  very  conflicting 
nature  that  I  am  induced  to  address  you.     Mr. 

"P 's     more    full     communication     will     have 

apprised  you,  I  trust,  of  our  heavy  loss.  It  is  fit 
that  one  so  well  known  to  you,  and  so  affection- 
ately attached  to  the  deceased,  should  be  the 
first  to  open  to  you  the  sad  tidings,  before  a 
stranger  ventures  into  your  presence.  Having 
heard  from  him  the  sad  story,  you  will  be  better 
prepared  to  receive  the  consolation,  which  I  would 
fain  strive  to  administer.  Few  are  privileged, 
dear  Madam,  as  you  are,  with  such  well  grounded 
motives  for  rejoicing  in  their  affliction.  Having 
been  called  upon  to  visit  your  late  respected 
and  beloved  brother  in  his  last  illness,  and  having 
promised  before  his  departure  to  make  known  to 
you  the  state  of  his  mind,  I  shall  endeavour  to 
recal  the  particulars  of  my  ministerial  attendance 
upon  him. 

'  On  Tuesday  the  28th  of  January,  I  was 
requested  in  a  letter  written  by  his  servant,  but 
in  his  own  name,  to  attend  him  whenever  it 
might  be  convenient.  The  circumstance  of  the 
communication  being  written  by  another,  con- 
vinced me  that  Sir  Henry  must  be  seriously 
indisposed,  I  waited  upon  him  immediately,  and 
found  him  upon  his  couch,  greatly  altered  in  his 
25* 


294  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

appearance.  His  disorder  had  attacked  him  with 
amazing  violence,  and  was  of  a  nature  to  pull 
down  the  patient  speedily.  He  received  me  with 
a  solemn  and  earnest  expression  of  regard  and 
of  interest  on  the  occasion  of  our  interview,  which 
I  can  never  forget.  It  greatly  affected  my  mind. 
After  some  preliminary  remarks  on  the  sudden- 
ness of  the  attack,  and  the  mysterious  nature  of 
his  illness ;  he  entered  immediately  on  the  great 
subject  of  God's  dealings  with  him  from  the 
beginning,  spoke  with  much  humihty  and  many 
tears  of  his  past  life,  and  seemed  overwhelmed 
with  a  sense  of  the  goodness  of  God  to  him. 
Turning  round,  he  observed  that  his  excellent 
mother  having  been  known  to  me,  I  could  well 
appreciate  the  honour  conferred  upon  him,  and 
the  blessing  he  enjoyed  in  having  such  a  parent. 
The  remembrance  of  her  piety  and  maternal  love, 
caused  him  to  weep  abundantly.  Recovering 
himself,  he  said  that  '  he  could  not  affirm  he  was 
not  somewhat  depressed ;  it  was  fit  he  should 
be ;  perhaps  there  was  no  state  of  mind  more 
salutary;  it  would  be  well  for  us  if  we  were 
oftener  in  such  a  state,'  and  he  could  from  his 
heart  declare,  that  though  he  knew  much  to 
humble  him,  and  make  him  sad,  yet  he  felt  the 
mercy  of  God  so  greatly  to  exceed  his  own 
demerits,  that  he  could  not  but  feel  overwhelmed 
with  a  sense  of  it. 


REV.    THOMAS    TK031AS0N.  295 

*He  was  then  led  to  mention  as  the  greatest 
blessing,  Ms  voyage  to  India.  He  looked  back 
upon  it  with  peculiar  thankfulness.  It  was  what 
he  needed.  A  voyage  by  sea  was  highly  calcu- 
lated to  impress  the  mind  with  seriousness.  He 
had  found  this  to  be  a  season  of  solemn  recol- 
lection, and  of  religious  enjoyment.  In  the  retire- 
ment of  his  cabin,  he  had  enjoyed  more  of  God 
than  ever  before  ;  and  though  it  was  unusually 
prolonged,  he  felt  sorry  when  it  came  to  an  end. 
He  could  bless  God  for  all  his  afflictions,  and 
could  testify  that  they  had  been  his  richest 
mercies,  adding,  that  he  had  experienced  the 
fulfilment  of  that  promise  in  Isaiah  xxx.  20,  21, 
which  he  repeated  with  great  distinctness  and 
solemnity  from  beginning  to  end.  It  was  very 
edifying  to  observe  the  tone  and  manner  with 
which  he  called  to  mind  the  words  of  the  promise. 
"  Though  the  Lord  give  you  the  bread  of  adver- 
sity, and  the  waters  of  affliction,  yet  shall  not  thy 
teachers  be  removed  into  a  corner  any  more,  but 
thine  eyes  shall  see  thy  teachers,  and  thine  ear 
shall  hear  a  word  behind  thee,  saying,  This  is  the 
way,  walk  ye  in  it ;  when  ye  turn  to  the  right 
hand,  and  when  ye  turn  to  the  left." 

*The  impression  upon  my  mind  was,  that  the 
voyage  was  a  season  of  great  spiritual  improve- 
ment to  him,  during  which  his  heart  was  strength- 
ened,   and  his  religious   principles    took    deeper 


^96  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

root,  and  his  soul  was  ripened  into  that  maturity 
of  Christian  knowledge  and  experience,  which  was 
so  conspicuous  in  him  here. 

'  The  conversation  then  turned  on  the  mysteri- 
ousness  of  God's  dealings  in  bringing  him  to 
India,  and  then  laying  him  on  a  bed  of  sickness, 
w^hich,  in  all  probability,  would  be  the  bed  of 
death.  He  had  hoped  if  it  had  pleased  God  to 
allow  him  time,  to  use  the  influence  of  his  situa- 
tion in  advancing  religion,  and  especially  in 
encouraging  the  many  institutions  which  had 
been  formed  for  the  benefit  of  this  country ;  but 
the  very  serious  aspect  of  his  sickness  had  put  a 
stop  to  all  his  plans,  and  had  led  him  to  examine 
his  motives  strictly,  and  to  feel  that  he  was 
nothing.  His  anxious  desire  was  now  to  acknow- 
ledge the  hand  of  God,  in  the  exercise  of  entire 
patience  and  resignation  to  his  holy  will.  After 
some  further  conversation  on  this  topic,  at  his 
request  I  prayed  with  him,  having  previously  read 
a  portion  of  the  twelfth  chapter  of  the  Hebrews, 
referred  to  in  the  order  for  the  "  visitation  of  the 
sick."  He  was  visibly  impressed  with  a  solemn 
and  thankful  sense  of  that  passage ;  that  the 
Father  of  spirits  chastens  us  for  our  profit,  that 
we  may  be  partakers  of  his  holiness,  and  added  his 
fervent  Amen,  that  it  might  be  so  with  him. 

*  The  above  is  but  an  outline  of  our  conver- 
sation ;  the  particulars  of  which,  you  who  so  well 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  297 

knew  him,  can  easily  supply.  It  is  impossible  to 
convey  adequately  the  solemn  pathos,  the  tone 
of  tenderness,  the  dignity  and  humility  with 
which  he  spoke. 

'  On  the  following  day,  Wednesday  the  29th,  I 
again  visited  him.  He  complained  of  great  pain, 
and  said  that  his  disorder  was  still  a  mystery. 
He  did  not  know  how  it  would  terminate,  but 
one  thing  we  know,  He  "doeth  all  things  well, 
and  in  whatever  it  may  end,  it  must  end  welly 
His  countenance  was  illumined  with  an  expres- 
sion of  cheerfulness,  w^hen  he  said  this,  which 
plainly  showed  the  inward  composure  of  his 
mind. 

'  The  season  not  being  favourable  for  conversa- 
tion, I  left  him,  with  a  promise  of  renewing  my 
call  in  the  evening. 

*At  nine  in  the  evening  I  found  him  in  bed 
much  reduced  and  exhausted.  He  could  not 
converse.  It  was  not  desirable  that  he  should. 
I  read  the  103d  Psalm,  making  such  little 
remarks  as  seemed  suited  to  his  circumstances, 
and  prayed  with  him.  After  prayer,  he  spoke 
of  receiving  the  sacrament  It  was  his  particular 
wish,  he  said,  not  to  defer  it  too  long.  He 
thought  an  early  time  should  be  fixed.  It  was  an 
ordinance  he  much  enjoyed,  and  he  should  be 
sorry  that  it  were  delayed,  for  he  feared  he  might 
be  too  much  weakened  by  his  disease  (which  was 


298  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

rapidly  reducing  his  strength)  to  enjoy  it»  Look- 
ing at  Dr.  S.,  he  begged  him  to  fix  a  time.  It 
was  agreed  that  it  might  take  place  on  the  next 
or  following  day.  I  should  have  observed  that 
the  little  he  spoke,  indicated  a  very  happy  frame 
of  mind.  On  my  relating  to  him  an  anecdote 
of  a  poor  afflicted  woman  in  England,  who,  though 
long  and  sorely  exercised  by  various  trials,  could 
rejoice  in  her  afflictions,  and  even  expressed  her 
conviction  that  in  one  sense  a  state  of  affliction 
was  preferable  to  present  happiness  in  heaven, 
because  it  was  not  without  its  strong  present 
consolations,  and  was  working  out  a  far  more 
exceeding  and  eternal  w^eight  of  glory ;  he  was 
much  delighted  with  the  story,  and  said  with 
great  emphasis,  that  it  reminded  him  of  a  beau- 
tiful passage  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Pearce. 

'Singing,  as  I  wade  to  heaven, 
Sweet  affliction:  sweet  affliction.'* 

*  On  Thursday  morning  I  again  called.  He 
received  me  with  an  affectionate  welcome,  and 
expressed  much  thankfulness  for  being  thus 
assisted  in  collecting  his  thoughts,  and  fixing 
them  on  spiritual  things,  from  which  he  felt 
himself  much  drawn  aside  by  his  bodily  infirmi- 
ties.     I  read   the    14th  of  John,  and  prayed: — 

*  Gluoted  from  a  hymn  in  a  storm,  in  the  Life  of  Pearce. 


REV.    TH03iAS    THOMASON.  299 

the  words,  "that  where  I  am,  there  ye  may  be 
also,"  appeared  to  comfort  him  greatly. 

*  On  the  night  of  Thursday,  I  found  him  greatly 
exhausted.  My  time  with  him  was  very  short. 
I  read  a  few  of  the  first  verses  of  John  xv.  and 
prayed.  The  same  remark  applies  to  my  visit 
of  Friday  morning.  The  disorder  had  made  fear- 
ful ravages  on  his  frame.  He  suffered  much,  yet 
in  this  his  low  estate,  it  was  edifying  to  observe 
how  much  he  was  refreshed  by  the  130th  Psalm, 
and  a  few  words  of  prayer.  I  should  observe 
that  in  all  these  visits  (after  the  first)  his  body 
was  so  evidently  tried  by  his  complaint,  that  he 
was  little  capable  of  conversation.  My  study 
was  to  speak  so  as  not  to  elicit  answers,  to  suggest 
such  thoughts  as  his  case  required,  and  pray  for  a 
blessing. 

'  About  two  o'clock  on  Friday,  I  received  a  mes- 
sage from  the  doctor  that  he  was  sinking  fast,  and 
it  was  desirable  the  sacrament  should  be  no  longer 
delayed.  This  ordinance,  to  which  he  had  looked 
forward  with  so  much  earnestness,  was  accordingly 
administered  about  half-past  three.  It  was  a 
memorable  occasion.  I  pray  that  all  of  us  who 
were  present  may  long  retain  it  in  our  hearts. 
We  ought  consider  it  a  great  privilege,  that  we 
were  permitted  to  witness  such  a  scene.  It  was 
necessary  to  curtail  the  service  as  much  as  possi- 
ble.   I  began  with  the  prayer    "  we  do  not  pre- 


300  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

sume  to  come  to  this  thy  table," — «Sz:c.  It  would 
have  greatly  affected  and  dehghted  you,  could 
you  have  witnessed  the  fervour,  and  humihty, 
and  holy  enjoyment  of  the  ordinance  manifested 
by  your  honoured  brother  on  this  occasion.  His 
frame  was  greatly  emaciated,  but  his  soul  seemed 
to  rise  superior  to  all  earthly  things,  and  to  feed 
on  Christ  with  faith  and  thanksgiving,  whilst  he 
partook  of  the  elements.  In  order  to  shorten  the 
service,  which  I  feared  might  prove  burthensome, 
I  proceeded  to  the  benediction :  after  the  prayer, 
leaving  out  the  hymn  of  praise,  "  Glory  be  to 
God  on  high,  &c."  He  immediately  noticed  the 
omission,  and  interrupted  me,  pronouncing  him- 
self, with  great  animation,  the  whole  of  that 
beautiful  service,  as  long  as  his  voice  would 
admit. 

*  We  were  all  greatly  affected :  I  cordially 
thanked  him  for  noticing  the  omission,  and  with 
tears  of  joy  we  concluded  the  service  together.  It 
was  a  season  peculiarly  impressive.  I  felt  happy 
in  having  given  occasion  to  a  movement  on  his 
part,  which  so  decidedly  proved  that  his  mind 
was  entirely  collected,  and  that  he  entered  into 
the  spirit  of  the  ordinance  as  a  solemn  act  of 
thanksgiving  and  worship,  an  eucharistical  ser- 
vice to  Christ. 

*  The  ordinance  being  concluded,  he  requested 
me  to  draw  the  chair  close  to  his  couch,  and  sit 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  301 

down,  at  the  same  time  intimating  his  wish  that  all 
others  might  withdraw. 

*  He  then  most  affectionately  put  out  his  hand 
and  entreated  me  to  pray  for  him  that  he  might 
be  delivered  from  all  false  confidence,  adding,  that 
he  felt  much  peace,  but  that  when  he  reflected 
on  his  past  life,  he  could  not  but  feel  a  trembling 
sense  of  his  demerits  ;  that  he  trusted  in  the 
mercy  of  God  through  Christ,  but  that,  at  such  a 
season,  and  in  a  matter  of  such  importance,  he 
felt  it  necessary  to  pray  against  false  confidences. 
He  repeated  this  eocjiression  loith  great  earnest' 
ness.  I  replied  that  God  would  not  disappoint 
the  hope  which  is  founded  on  the  merits  of  his 
Son,  and  that  the  Scripture  w^as  peculiarly 
adapted  to  convey  comfort  to  all,  who,  under  a 
trembling  sense  of  their  sinfulness,  cast  themselves 
on  the  mercy  of  God.  He  said,  '  That  is  true,  I 
am  perfectly  satisfied  on  that  point.  My  views 
are  strong  and  clear.  I  have  no  cloud,  no  doubt, 
and  long  to  be  with  my  God  and  Saviour.  O  when 
will  the  time  come  ?  To  this  time  I  have  looked 
forward,  O  God,  thou  knowest.  It  does  not  take 
me  by  surprise :  I  have  been  preparing  for  it. 
For  some  years  past  I  have  been  endeavouring  to 
withdraw  from  the  world  ;  avoiding  as  much  as 
possible  all  new  connections,  and  labouring  to  be 
ready  for  my  summons.  I  greatly  long  for  my 
rest.'  Here  he  dwelt  with  great  delight  on  the 
26 


302  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

blessedness  of  being  with  God,  varying  and  re- 
iterating his  expressions,  sometimes  in  broken 
accents,  at  others  more  distinctly.  I  observed 
that  he  was  now  in  a  state  to  appreciate  those 
beautiful  lines  of  C.  Wesley,  written  when  he 
supposed  himself  dying.  'What  are  the  lines?' 
he  said,  *  repeat  them.'     I  began, 

In  age  and  feebleness  extreme, 
Who  shall  a  sinful  worm  redeem  ? 

and  was  then  proceeding  to  the  line, 

O  let  me  catch  one  glimpse  from  thee  ; 

but  here  he  took  me  up,  and  with  great  fervour 
himself  repeated  two  important  lines  which  I  had 
missed. 

Jesus,  my  joy  and  strength  thou  art: 
The  comfort  of  my  drooping  heart. 
O  let  me  catch  one  smile  from  thee, 
Then  drop  into  Eternity. 

He  was  refreshed  by  these  lines,  and  entered  with 
great  delight  on  another  hymn, 

Jesus,  lover  of  my  soul,  &c.  &c. 

We  repeated  these  verses  together,  and  every  now 
and  then  he  helped  my  memory,  till  we  came  to 
the  end,  in  which  he  joined  with  great  emphasis 
of  tone  and  manner. 

Spring  thou  up  within  my  heart — rise  to  all  Eternity. 

*  Here  I  expressed  my  thankfulness  to  God  for 
the    support  vouchsafed   to  him   at   so   trying  a 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMA.SON.  303 

time ;  and  observed  that  it  was  a  new  instance 
of  the  Lord's  tender  mercy,  in  that  when  he  most 
needed  comfort,  his  consolation  should  be  so 
strong,  adverting  at  the  same  time  to  my  first 
interview,  when  he  was  comparatively  depressed. 
He  said  it  was  indeed  a  merciful  dispensation,  but 
that  violent  disorders  naturally  deaden  the  ex- 
pressions of  one's  feelings.  He  had  abundant 
reason  to  bless  God  for  all  his  dealings.  '  Yes,' 
I  said,  '  he  has  not  dealt  with  us  according  to  our 
deserts,'  '  Not  according  to  my  deserts ' — he  em- 
phatically said,  '  I  am  sure  ;  you  know  not  how  I 
have  sinned  against  him.  But  I  can  see  mercy,' 
he  continued,  after  a  pause,  *in  all  the  w^ay  by 
which  I  have  been  led,  and  a  gracious  reason  for 
every  trial  with  which  he  has  visited  me.  All  is 
wonderful,  surely  goodness  and  mercy  have  fol- 
lowed me  all  the  days  of  my  life,  and  /  shall 
dwell  in  the  house  of  God  for  ever.''  These  last 
words  he  uttered  with  uplifted  hands,  and  great 
fervour  of  tone.  The  scene  was  grand  !  I  ob- 
served that  the  sorrow  and  regret  of  the  occasion 
was  absorbed,  and  I  could  only  rejoice  in  the 
comfort  he  felt  at  such  a  trying  season.  The 
hearts  of  many,  I  said,  would  be  confirmed  by  the 
account,  especially  of  his  friends  at  home,  to  whom 
I  should  make  a  point  of  communicating  what  I 
had  witnessed.  He  then  spoke,  dear  madam, 
with  great    tenderness    of  you,      '  He  had  one 


304  MEaiOIR   OF    THE 

beloved  sister,'  he  said,  *  who  would  be  comforted 
to  hear  about  him.'  I  promised  to  write,  and 
asked,  what  shall  I  say  to  her  ?  Have  you  any 
thing  to  communicate  in  particular?  He  said, 
*  Nothing;  but  tell  her  this,  that  I  die  happy/ 
He  spoke  here  with  peculiar  deliberation,  and  then 
added,  *  What  can  you  say  more  ? '  After  a  pause 
he  said  again,  '  Tell  her  to  follow  after  and  find  me 
out.'  As  nearly  as  I  can  recollect  his  words,  this 
was  his  message,  delivered  in  a  sententious  style, 
and  cheerful  tone  of  voice,  like  one  who  knows 
where  he  has  built  his  hopes,  and  the  ground  on 
which  he  stands.  He  spoke  much  on  the  delight 
of  meeting  you  in  heaven,  and  his  beloved 
mother,  but  here  his  disorder  became  very 
troublesome.  '  I  can  bear  no  more,'  he  said,  and 
most  affectionately  seized  my  hand  and  kissed  it. 
I  too  bid  him  a  tender  adieu,  kissing  his  forehead 
and  cheek. 

*  It  was  grievous  to  part  with  him  !  But  blessed 
be  God,  we  sorrow  not  as  those  without  hope. 
Having  committed  him  with  mingled  feelings  of 
joy  and  sorrow  to  God,  I  w^ithdrew%  observing 
that  death  was  not  only  deprived  of  its  sting — it 
was  swallowed  up  in  victory. 

*  About   ten  minutes  after,  Mr.  went   to 

him,  and  he  heard  him  say,  '  Blessed  be  God — I 
have  peace  with  God  through  Jesus  Christ.' 

*  Dearest   madam,  I  feel  for  your   loss.      The 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  305 

tender  affection  with  which  your  brother  spoke 
of  you  and  your  family,  has  drawn  my  heart 
towards  you  in  sympathy.  Yet  I  am  sure,  you 
will  rejoice  in  the  consolation,  and  I  trust  you 
will  be  encouraged  to  go  forward,  in  hope  of  the 
same  victory.  The  grace  given  to  your  honoured 
brother  is  also  offered  to  ijou,  to  me.  O  that  we 
may  not  fall  short  of  it !  Such  bereavements 
are  irreparable  in  this  world.  But  Christ  is  all- 
sufficient  ;  "  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  for 
ever."  May  he  be  the  strength  of  our  heart,  and 
our  portion  for  ever  ! 

'  Yours,  my  dear  madam,  in  much  sympathy 
and  Christian  condolence, 

Thomas  Thomason.' 

An  Extract  from  a  letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Thomason  from  Sir  H.  Blossett's  Medical 
Attendant. 

'  My  dear  Sir, 

*  As  you  had  many  personal  interviews  with 
our  late  respected  friend,  I  did  not  think  that  any 
thing  which  came  under  my  observation  could  add 
much  to  your  satisfaction.  I  shall,  however,  as 
you  requested,  now  mention  such  things  as  were 
talked  of  in  your  absence. 

*  On  the  Thursday  morning  he  mentioned  to 
you  that  he  looked  to  have  some  portion  of  Scrip- 


306  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

ture  read  occasionally :  I  therefore  in  the  course 
of  the  day  offered  to  read  any  portion  that  he 
wished.  He  immediately  mentioned  in  succes- 
sion the  27th  and  29th  Psalms,  and  the  4th  and 
5th  chapters  of  St.  Paul's  first  epistle  to  the 
Thessalonians,  repeating  always  the  beginning  of 
the  first  verses ;  which  being  read,  he  repeated 
these    words    frequently,    "  Comfort    your    heart 

with  these   things,"  and  addressing  Messrs. 

and  myself,  began  to  speak  of  the  advantages 
of  a  religious  life.  He  observed  that  there  was  no 
need  for  shew  or  eccentricity,  but  a  sincere  regard 
to  the  ordinances  of  God,  especially  the  attentive 
perusal  of  the  Scriptures,  with  prayer  to  God  for 
his  blessing,  and  the  supply  of  our  wants, — that  it 
was  only  by  setting  God  ever  before  us,  that  we 
could  expect  success  in  this  life,  and  enjoy  that 
peace  and  consolation  which  the  world  knows 
not  of.  He  said  more  to  this  effect,  but  the  above 
is  the  substance  of  what  he  did  say,  and  nearly 
in  his  ow^n  words. 

*  On  expressing  my  conviction  that  he  could 
with  David  say,  "  Yet  halh  he  made  with  me  an 
everlasting  covenant,  well-ordered  in  all  things, 
and  sure:"  He  said  "this  is  all  my  salvation,  and 
all  my  desire. 

'During  the  whole  of  Saturday,  he  seemed 
very  anxious  to  know  when  I  thought  he  should 
depart.     And  once  after,  inquiring  very  particu- 


REV.    THOMAS  THOMASON.  307 

larly,  and  mentioning  the  state  of  his  feelings,  I 
gave  him  my  opinion,  when  he  said,  *  a  few  hours 
then  will  now  free  me  from  trouble  ;  and  I  hope 
Mr.  S.  that  you  will  never  withhold  the  light  of 
divine  truth  from  any  of  your  patients.  It  is  the 
only  source  of  comfort  in  life  and  in  death.  What 
could  I  have  done  without  this  support?  And 
what  the  condition  of  those  who  live  without  God 
and  have  no  hope  in  their  death  !  In  prosperity  I 
have  been  too  regardless  of  my  eternal  concerns : 
but  blessed  be  God  for  bringing  me  to  this  state.' 

*  Soon  after  this  he  prayed  for  all  his  relations, 
and  those  who  were  about  him,  for  you  and  for 
M.  and  for  all  Christians,  and  for  the  con- 
version of  the  heathen,  especially  those  of  this 
land.  About  two  hours  before  his  death,  inquiring 
about  the  state  of  his  pulse,  I  told  him  that 
it  was  almost  imperceptible.  '  It  will  soon  then 
beat,'  said  he  '  in  the  blood  of  the  everlasting 
covenant.' ' 

It  was  not  long  after  the  death  of  the  Chief 
Justice  that  Mr.  Thomason,  for  the  first  and  last 
time  in  his  life,  found  himself  involved  most 
reluctantly  in  public  controversy.  A  '  collatio 
signorum'  occurred  unhappily  betv/een  the  Com- 
mittee of  the  Church  Missionary  Society  and 
one  or  two  members  of  the  Christian  Knowledge 
Society.  To  revive  the  topics  in  dispute  would 
be  as  unchristian  as    it  would   be   uninteresting. 


308  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

Suffice  it  to  say,  that  it  was  well  for  both  sides 
that  to  Mr.  Thomason  the  vindication  of  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  Church  Missionary  Society  was 
committed :  his  pen  was  singularly  free  from  gall, 
and  the  hand  that  directed  it  was  not  feeble. 

In  tlie  midst  of  these  conflicting  discussions 
Bishop  Heber  arrived  to  restore  harmony  and  to 
diffuse  happiness.  Never  perhaps  was  any  eccle- 
siastical ruler  more  acceptable  than  he — men  of  all 
grades  in  society  and  of  every  diversity  of  senti- 
ment gladly  recognized  his  superintendence.  To 
an  endeared  Christian  friend,*  whose  absence  from 
India  to  Mr.  Thomason  personally  was  such  a 
chasm  as  scarcely  any  thing  could  close,  he  had 
written  on  this  subject — '  I  am  full  of  joy  at  the 
prospect  of  seeing  him.'  To  Mr.  Simeon — 'I  was 
much  gratified  and  many  were  made  happy  by 
your  account.  May  he  come  to  us  in  the  fulness 
of  the  blessing  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ !  We  pray 
for  him :  and  we  pray  for  ourselves  that  we  may 
receive  him  in  a  right  spirit.  May  he  see  nothing 
in  us  to  damp  and  discourage  him,  but  every  thing 
by  which  his  hands  may  be  strengthened  and  his 
heart  comforted !'  When  the  Bishop  actually 
arrived  on  Indian  ground,  his  words  are — '  We 
have  heard  his  voice,  and  know  his  mind,  and  are 
full  of  thankfulness.' 

*  J.  W.  Sherer,  Esq. 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  309 

Bishop  Heber's  appointment  of  Mr.  Corrie 
to  the  Archdeaconry,  to  which  another  had 
nearly  been  elevated,  (the  step  would  have  been 
complete  but  for  the  firm,  respectful,  and  season- 
able remonstrance  of  Mr.  Parson,)  was  gratifying 
in  the  highest  degree  to  all  who  prized  the  golden 
doctrines  of  the  reformation,  and  to  none  more 
than  to  Mr.  Thomason,  who  himself  shortly  after 
received  a  substantial  proof  of  the  Bishop's 
favourable  regard  and  good  will,  in  an  advance- 
ment to  the  cathedral.  Concerning  Mr.  Thomason, 
at  that  moment  the  Bishop  writing  to  one  of  his 
most  intimate  and  valued  friends  in  England,*  ex- 
presses himself  thus — '  Your  friend  Thomason  is  a 
very  good  and  a  very  learned  man — a  child  in 
gentleness  and  facility  of  disposition — the  most 
unsuspicious  being  possible — inclined  to  think  well 
of  every  body — he  is  an  excellent  preacher  :' 
adding  concerning  his  removal  to  the  cathedral, 
*  Mr.  Thomason  is  a  most  useful  and  necessary 
accession  to  the  cathedral.  I  do  not  see  any  symp- 
toms of  the  dispersion  of  his  flock — though  many 
doubtless  follow  him  to  the  cathedral.  The 
congregation  of  the  old  church,  which  was  first 
formed  by  Mr.  Brown,  is  slill  spoken  of  by  many 
persons  in  Calcutta  as  made  up  of  '  the  evangelical 
party'      A  few  years  ago  there  was  an  avowed 

*  J.  Thornton,  Esq, 


310  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

and  impenetrable  boundary  line  between  them  and 
the  frequenters  of  the  cathedral.  The  preacher 
of  the  old  church  was  hardly  acknowledged 
as  a  member  of  the  same  community.  His 
brother  chaplains,  and  those  who  attended  his 
ministry,  would  as  soon  have  gone  to  mass  as  to 
St.  John's.  The  amiable  temper  and  moderation 
of  Thomason — the  excellent  terms  on  which  he 
latterly  was  with  Bishop  Middleton — the  similarity 
of  his  opinions  with  those  of  the  late  senior 
chaplains,  have  for  some  time  back  brought  the 
parties  nearer  to  each  other.  To  the  affairs  of  the 
Church  Missionary  Society,  I  have  paid  con- 
siderable attention,  and  have  great  reason  to  he 
satisfied  with  the  manner  in  which  they  are  con- 
ducted, as  well  as  personally  with  the  Committee, 
and  all  the  7nissionaries  whom  I  have  seen^ 

'  I  believe  the  bishop  and  the  government,'  Mr. 
Thomason  wrote  whilst  his  designation  to  the 
Cathedral  was  in  suspense,  '  will  conclude,  in 
considering  my  church  as  a  separate  exclusive 
church,  and  call  my  junior  to  the  cathedral.  If 
this  should  be  the  case,  it  is  my  determination 
to  acquiesce  in  the  decision,  as  the  appointment 
of  providence,  and  to  make  no  movement  in  the 
way  of  appeal  or  complaint.'  Doubly  gratifying 
was  advancement  thus  received.  On  many 
accounts  the  decision  was  pleasant ;  a  station  in 
the  cathedral   produced   closer   contact  with   the 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  311 

Bishop,  it  opened  also  a  more  extensive  inter- 
course with  the  lower  classes,  affording  employ- 
ment more  distinctly  parochial  than  before. 

*  Two  months  have  elapsed,'  he  writes,  March, 
1824,  '  since  I  have  been  fixed  in  the  Cathedral, 
and  I  am  thankful  to  give  a  good  report  of  the 
event,  as  far  as  I  can  yet  judge.  The  change 
has  been  in  some  respects  great,  in  others 
scarcely  perceptible.  We  live  in  the  same  house, 
and  amongst  the  same  people.  I  am  still  in  the 
pulpit  of  the  old  church  once  a  week,  and  when 
I  am  not  there,  it  is  occupied  by  one  who  feeds 
them  with  the  bread  of  life.  In  the  meantime  I 
am  myself  engaged  in  a  new  sphere  on  the 
Sundays  ;  at  the  Cathedral  I  have  a  very  differ- 
ent congregation  to  deal  with,  and  may  I  have 
reason  to  speak  as  I  ought  to  speak.  I  have 
much  additional  work  in  attending  to  the  poor, 
and  looking  after  our  free  school,  with  all  the 
occasional  duties  of  this  city.  It  is  a  large  field 
of  parochial  labour.  My  daily  prayer  is  for 
grace  to  follow  up  these  duties  with  a  truly 
pastoral  heart.  My  avocations  oblige  me  to 
be  more  with  men,  hearing  their  troubles,  and 
bearing  with  their  perverseness,  and  I  feel  the 
want  of  what  is  called  pastoral  theology.  One 
of  our  Lutheran  Missionaries  tells  me  this  makes 
a  prominent  part  of  their  education  for  the  min- 
istry.'    From  the  strain  of  these  remarks,  it  might 


312  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

be  imagined  Mr.  Thomason  was  standing  on  the 
threshold  of  his  ministerial  vocation,  instead  of 
being  as  he  was,  eminently  versed  in  pastoral 
theology,  apt  to  teach  both  publicly  and  from 
house  to  house  ;  but  'real  humility  has  a  high 
standard  and  exalted  motives,  and  is  ever  ready 
to  consider  the  measure  of  actual  accomplishment 
low  and  disproportionate.  No  one  was  in  less 
peril  than  himself,  of  being  drawn  aside  by  any 
consideration  from  the  sacred  and  appropriate 
offices  of  a  Christian  minister. 

The  autumn  of  this  year  was  remarkable  for 
an  epidemic  of  a  singular  character ;  it  raged  in 
Calcutta,  and  Mr.  Thomason  was  one  of  those  who 
were  laid  low  by  the  complaint.  '  The  fever,' 
he  says,  '  scarcely  lasted  thirty-six  hours,  but  the 
prostration  of  strength  was  great,  and  the  pains 
in  the  limbs  harassing.  You  may  judge  of  the 
general  distress,'  he  wrote,  '  when  you  hear  that 
whole  families  were  prostrate  at  once :  parents, 
children,  servants,  so  that  in  many  instances, 
there  was  no  one  to  administer  food  and  med- 
icine, and  hired  servants  were  obtained  by  the 
day,  as  they  could  be  found.  What  added  to 
the  calamity,  was,  that  the  medical  men  were 
laid  low.  One  physician  had  the  business  of 
three  or  four.  The  dispensers  of  medicine  at  the 
Company's  store-house  were  affected  one  after 
another,  until   the   dispensary   was   shut    up    for 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  313 

want  of  persons  to  make  up  the  prescriptions, 
and  we  were  sent  to  other  places  for  medicine 
where  we  could  find  it.  The  throng  of  servants 
was  such  at  the  dispensaries,  that  we  could  not 
obtain  any  medicine  until  after  two,  three,  or 
four  hours  attendance,  the  people  within  being 
unable  to  make  them  up  with  sufficient  expe- 
dition. About  one  in  twenty  or  thirty  only  have 
escaped  sickness.  It  seems  to  have  rendered  the 
place  more  salubrious,  for  last  week  when  it  was 
my  turn  to  attend  at  the  burying  ground,  I  had 
scarcely  one  funeral,  which,  in  this  most  sickly 
month  of  the  year,  is  unprecedented.' 

When  Mr.  Thomason  left  England  for  India, 
he  did  so  in  a  spirit  of  prayer  and  deliberate 
self-denial :  it  was  his  fixed  intention  that  the 
step  should  be  final,  and  notwithstanding  those 
thoughts  which  often  would  force  themselves 
across  the  expanse  of  ocean,  *  surmounting  the 
nightly  wave,'  especially  when  beloved  friends 
had  their  faces  turned  towards  a  spot  where  an 
aged,  honoured,  and  endeared  mother  was  living, 
he  would  have  persisted  in  the  resolution  of 
remaining  in  India,  if,  in  the  year  1825  it  had  not 
been  too  apparent  that  Mrs.  Thomason's  health 
was  gradually  declining,  and  that  the  only  human 
hope  of  her  restoration  was  to  be  found  in 
exchanging  a  climate,  where  the  air  without  is 
often  like  a  blast  furnace,  whilst  that  within 
27 


314  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

imparts  a  sepulchral  sensation,  for  the  breezes 
of  the  sea,  and  the  invigorating  atmosphere  of 
her  native  land.  In  the  month  of  June  there- 
fore, 1825,  he  determined  on  her  account  solely, 
to  return  to  England,  and  in  the  month  of  Octo- 
ber his  passage  homew^ard  was  engaged.  Preca- 
rious however  as  was  the  state  of  Mrs.  Thomason's 
health ;  it  would  scarcely  have  been  deemed  by 
him  a  reason  sufficient  to  justify  the  desertion 
of  his  post,  had  he  not  found  in  Mr.  Good,  who 
arrived  from  England,  one  on  whom  he  could 
with  entire  satisfaction  devolve  his  official  cares 
and  labours :  concerning  this  valuable  and  oppor- 
tune supply,  and  in  reference  to  his  conflicting 
feehngs  at  this  most  anxious  juncture,  his  expres- 
sions of  gratitude  and  dependance  on  his  God, 
were  as  usual,  those  of  a  Christian  of  elevated 
attainments. 

'  Mr.  Good  has  been  a  week  with  us,  he 
brought  many  letters,  and  could  tell  us  of  what  he 
saw ;  he  has  delighted  us  ;  we  cannot  be  too  thank- 
ful for  such  a  treasure,  and  receive  him  as  a  gift 
from  God,  for  the  promotion  of  his  work  in  this 
place.  His  removal  here  has  removed  all  remain- 
ing troubles  concerning  the  old  church.  My 
mind  is  now  entirely  at  rest  on  that  subject.  I 
see  and  admire  the  over-ruling  hand  of  Provi- 
dence, and  can  now  leave  India  without  a  pang. 
The  ministry  at  the  Cathedral  however  appears 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMA.SON.  315 

more  and  more  important,  and  my  translation 
work  is  greatly  in  arrears ;  I  fear  it  will  not  be  in 
my  power  to  finish  the  translations  of  the  Hin- 
dostanee  Old  Testament,  by  the  end  of  the  year. 
I  know  not  how  to  leave  so  important  a  work 
undone.  Mr.  Good  opened  his  commission  at 
the  Cathedral,  in  a  faithful  discourse  from   "  We 

preach   Christ    crucified."     Mr.   N ,   one    of 

our  most  zealous  friends,  wrote  me  the  following 
note.  *  I  think  I  may  say  from  my  heart,  "  a 
day  in  thy  courts  is  better  than  a  thousand."  Let 
me  c  ;  gratulate  you  myself,  and  this  community. 
You  may  tell  Mr.  Simeon  that  there  was  one  of 
your  congregation  to-day  also  felt  a  degree  of 
gratitude  and  thankfulness  towards  him  for  his 
gift,  and  to  God  who  prompted  him  to  give,  that 
is  hardly  communicable :  considering  the  number 
of  pious  and  able  ministers  lately  arrived,  and 
coming  to  India,  principally  through  his  instru- 
mentality, the  prospect  is  brightening  indeed.' 

Mr.  Thomason's  relation  to  those  amongst 
whom  he  had  so  long  laboured  in  Calcutta, 
spiritual  and  primitive  as  it  was,  could  not  but 
be  affectionate  in  a  degree  inconceivable  to  those 
who  are  wedded  to  a  vain  world,  and  attached  to 
mere  forms :  in  parting  for  a  limited  period,  their 
sorrow  was  unfeigned  and  mutual,  when  therefore 
a  separation  of  an  unlimited  extent  was  near  and 
unavoidable,  their  grief  was  commensurate.    His 


316  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

approaching  departure  gave  birth  to  the  following 
reciprocal  communications  of  respect,  attachment, 
and  regret.  Happy  those  who  "  know  them  that 
are  over  them  in  the  Lord,  and  admonish  them^ 
and  who  esteem  them  very  highly  in  love  for  their 
works'  sake,"  happy  above  all,  those  who  are  thus 
esteemed. 

To  the  Rev.  Thomas  Thomason — from  some  of 
the  members  of  the  congregation  at  the  Old  Church, 
Calcutta. 

'Reverend  and  Beloved  Sir, 
*  On  the  occasion  of  your  approaching  depar- 
ture from  India,  after  a  sojourn  of  more  than 
seventeen  years ;  we,  the  congregation  of  the 
Old  Church,  the  chief  field  of  your  important 
labours  for  fifteen  years  of  that  period,  cannot 
suffer  such  an  event  to  pass  by  in  silence.  We 
should  do  violence  to  our  feelings,  were  we  to 
suppress  the  expression  of  our  sincere  and  heart- 
felt regret  at  the  necessity  under  which  you  are 
called  to  leave  us.  Most  of  us  can  associate  in 
our  memories,  recollections  of  the  saving  proofs 
of  your  ministrations.  Now,  reverend  and  beloved 
Sir,  as  we  are  not  to  hear  your  voice  again, 
(we  hope  for  a  season  only,  but  some  of  us,  per- 
haps, never  here  below,)  it  behoves  us  as  members 
of  a  church,  when   we    have  profited    by  your 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  317 

labour  of  love,  to  make  known  to  you  our  grate- 
ful acknowledgments,  for  the  spiritual  light  and 
knowledge  we  have  derived  from  your  preaching 
to  us  the  blessed  truths  of  the  gospel ;  for,  should 
we,  your  congregation  refuse  to  speak,  the  very 
stones  of  the  Old  Church  would  cry  out  of  the 
walls,  and  the  beam  out  of  the  timber  would 
answer  it.  From  your  very  first  discourse  preached 
at  the  Old  Church,  "  knowing  the  terrors  of  the 
Lord,"  you  have  persuaded  us.  As  an  ambas- 
sador of  Christ,  you  have  besought,  you  earnestly 
besought  us  to  be  reconciled  to  God,  and  to  flee 
from  the  wrath  to  come :  you  have  pointed  out  to 
us  the  Lamb  of  God  who  taketh  away  the  sins 
of  the  world ;  and  praised  be  our  Lord  and 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  whose  sole  glory  you  have 
had  in  view  under  your  labours,  many  who  have 
been  moved  from  the  church  militant  here  on 
earth,  have,  before  they  fell  asleep  in  Jesus, 
afforded  abundant  proofs  that  they  had  been 
prepared  to  join  the  church  triumphant  above ! 
Your  series  of  discourses  on  the  11th  of  Hebrews; 
on  the  Gospel  of  St.  John  and  St.  Matthew ;  on 
the  Historical  portions  of  the  Old  Testament ;  on 
the  Parables;  on  the  Commandments;  on  the 
Liturgy ;  on  part  of  the  Revelations,  on  Con- 
science;  and  latterly  on  the  Psalms,  are  all  well 
remembered  by  us.  Many  of  your  powerful 
discourses  are  fresh  in  our  memories,  and  we 
27* 


318  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

trust,  indelibly  engraven  on  our  hearts.  We 
cannot  forbear  noticing  a  few  of  your  most  impres- 
sive and  heart-searching  addresses  from  the  Old 
Church  pulpit,  the  one  delivered  from  the  text, 
"  Be  sure  your  sins  will  find  you  out."  Another 
on  the  excuses  for  not  coming  to  the  marriage 
supper.  A  third  on  the  text,  "  He  that  being 
often  reproved  hardeneth  his  neck,  shall  sud- 
denly be  destroyed,  and  that  without  remedy." 
A  fourth  on  the  fall  of  our  first  parents.  A  fifth 
on  the  call  of  God  to  Abraham  to  sacrifice  his 
only  son  Isaac — with  many  others.  Indeed  the 
time  would  fail  us,  if  we  were  to  recount  many 
of  your  appeals  to  our  hearts  and  consciences, 
which,  in  a  manner  still  reverberate  in  our  ears. 
We  shall  in  this  place  advert  more  particularly 
to  one  of  your  affectionate  addresses  to  the  Old 
Church  congregation,  delivered  on  New  Year's 
Day,  1816,  as  being  quite  suitable  to  our  present 
.purpose,  and  to  the  avowed  object  of  this  address. 
The  text  was  taken  from  the  4th  chapter  of 
Amos,  and  the  Tith  verse,  "  Prepare  to  meet 
thy  God."  You  said,  "  My  dear  brethren,  we  have 
often  met  together  in  this  house:  the  years  roll 
round,  and  life  sinks  apace;  our  connexion 
together  as  minister  and  people  has  subsisted  now 
more  than  seven  years;  I  feel  my  own  heart 
deeply  impressed  with  the  importance  of  the 
relation  which  unites  us,  and  hope  you  will  bear 


REV.    THOMAS   THOMASON.  319 

with  me  in  saying  this,  on  an  occasion  when,  by 
the  providence  of  God,  we  are  assembled  to  con- 
sider how  we  may  best  improve  the  year  which 
this  day  opens  upon  us.  Can  we  better  improve 
it,  than  by  carrying  our  thoughts  forward  to  that 
great  day  when  we  shall  meet  together  at  the 
bar  of  judgment,  when  minister  and  people  shall 
meet  their  God?  The  thought  of  this  meeting, 
which  we  are  quite  sure  must  take  place,  ought 
to  lead  us  all  to  inquire  into  the  preparation  we 
have  made  for  it.  I  say,  we  are  quite  sure  of  it, 
we  cannot  get  rid  of  the  thought  if  we  would. 
Every  day  hastens  forward  that  solemn  event. 
It  will  be  a  meeting  without  any  disguise  on 
either  side — a  meeting  in  which  we  shall  be 
perfectly  known  to  God  and  to  each  other— a 
meeting  in  which  every  soul  will  be  deeply  inter- 
ested, and  unless  we  are  prepared  for  it,  it  will 
be  a  meeting  of  unutterable  anguish.  Two  ques- 
tions I  would  propose  for  present  consideration : 
First,  with  what  feelings  shall  we  meet  each 
other  on  that  day?  Secondly,  with  what  feel- 
ings shall  we  meet  God  V  Again,  '  Many  a 
precious  hour  of  our  lives  has  been  spent  in  this 
place ;  many  a  precious  passage  has  been  brought 
before  us  out  of  the  word  of  God :  promises, 
warnings,  expostulations,  threatenings,  precepts, 
exhortations,  have  been  the  subject  of  our  medi- 
tations.     Some    of    your    ministers,    dear    and 


320  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

honoured  servants  of  God,  have  been  removed  by 
death :  others  have  laboured  amongst  you,  and 
are  nov^  absent  at  their  respective  posts.  Inroads 
have  been  made  in  the  congregation  by  death, 
and  now  we  who  are  spared  to  consider  the 
lapse  of  years,  should  consider  ourselves  called 
upon  to  serious  self-examination,  and  faithful 
dealing  with  ourselves. 

"  Are  there  not  many  who  must  testify,  if  they 
would  speak  the  truth,  that  they  have  received 
no  profit.  As  ignorant  of  divine  things,  as  much 
strangers  to  the  power,  as  much  in  bondage  to 
sin  and  the  world  as  they  were.  Surely,  your 
meeting  with  your  ministers  must  be  a  painful 
one.  They  will  be  a  swift  witness  against  you 
in  that  day,  if  you  die  in  your  present  condition. 
Are  there  not  others  who  have  declined  from  the 
ways  of  God,  who  neither  have  the  comfort  they 
once  enjoyed,  nor  do  they  manifest  the  same 
fruitfulness.  I  am  sure  there  is  a  marked  differ- 
ence in  their  attendance  at  the  house  of  God. 
They  used  to  attend  both  on  Sundays  and  week 
days.  Now  they  only  come  on  Sundays,  and 
very  often  but  once  on  that  blessed  day." 

'  Such  are  the  faithful  appeals  to  hearers  which 
touch  their  hearts,  and  lead  them  to  self-examina- 
tion, humiliation,  and  contrition.  Those  who 
have  had  ears  to  hear,  have  heard  your  well- 
known    voice.      Surely,    how    beautiful    upon   a 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  321 

benighted  land  are  the  feet  of  him  that  bringeth 
good  tidings,  that  publisheth  peace,  that  bringeth 
good  tidings  of  good,  that  publisheth  salvation ! 

'  On  your  first  arrival  amongst  us,  you  com- 
menced a  round  of  pastoral  visits  to  the  families 
of  many  of  the  Old  Church  congregation.  These 
parochial  visits  led  to  the  adoption  of  social 
worship  amongst  families  where  such  a  practice 
had  not  been  observed  before,  whilst  they  added 
fresh  fervour  and  earnestness  amongst  those  with 
whom  family  worship  had  been  already  established. 
And  we  have  heard  that  your  first  visit  of  this 
kind  to  one  of  your  Old  Church  congregation 
and  his  family, — on  an  occasion  when  you  selected 
for  the  meditation  of  the  evening,  the  fourth 
chapter  of  St.  John's  gosp'  1,  wherein  is  recorded 
the  story  of  the  woman  of  Samaria  coming  to 
Jacob's  well,  to  draw  water,  and  the  conference 
she  had  with  our  Saviour,  has  been  remembered 
with  thankfulness  in  that  family  to  this  day. 

*  We  cannot  omit  noticing  another  branch 
of  your  early  labours  on  your  first  arrival  in 
Calcutta.  We  allude  to  your  catechetical  lectures 
to  the  younger  part  of  your  flock,  on  a  Saturday 
evening.  Numbers  of  your  juvenile  disciples 
(most  of  whom  have  now  grown  to  years  of  dis- 
cretion) have  profited  by  your  instructions  to  them, 
and  through  Divine  grace  the  good  seed  sown  has 
not   been  unproductive,    but   brought  forth   fruit 


323  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

unto  repentance  and  to  a  godly  life ;  some  an 
hundred  fold,  some  sixty,  and  some  thirty.  You 
have  been  a  foster-father  to  them,  and  they  duly 
appreciate  your  tender  solicitude  towards  their 
spiritual  welfare  and  eternal  interests. 

'  And  now,  beloved  and  dear  sir,  we  bid  you 
an  affectionate  farewell !  A  farewell  which  is 
poignantly  felt  in  the  very  inmost  recesses  of  our 
hearts.  In  the  year  1808  you  came  to  us,  and 
now  in  this  year  1826,  you  are  about  to  depart 
from  us !  May  he  who  "  manages  the  seas" 
conduct  the  Thomas  Grenville  with  safety  to  her 
destined  haven,  and  may  yourself  and  your  dear 
wife,  who  has  verily  been  a  Dorcas  amongst  us, 
fuii  of  good  works  and  alms  deeds  which  she  had 
done,  be  conveyed  speedily  into  the  bosom  of  your 
revered  mother,  and  all  near  and  dear  to  you  in 
your  native  land.  Should  you  again  come  back 
to  us  (which  God  grant  that  you  may)  how  many 
will  you  not  miss  !  Many  who  have  walked  with 
you  in  the  house  of  God  and  taken  sweet  counsel 
together,  will  have  gone  before  us  to  the  heavenly 
Jerusalem,  where  ministers  and  people  will  one 
day  all  surround  the  throne  of  Him  that  sitteth 
upon  the  throne  and  of  the  Lamb  for  ever. 
Should  it  be  otherwise,  we  intreat  your  prayers 
for  us,  that  "  our  conversation  be  as  it  becometh 
the  gospel  of  Christ,  that  whether  you  come  and 
see  us  or  else  be  absent,   you  may  hear  of  our 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  3*23 

affairs,  that  we  stand  fast  in  one  spirit,  with  one 
mind,  striving  together  in  the  faith  of  the  gospel." 

'  Since  we  may  not  see  you  face  to  face  again, 
it  would  be  a  satisfaction  to  us  to  behold  your 
likeness,  and  we  intreat  you  therefore,  to  sit  for 
your  portrait  at  any  time  and  at  any  place  most 
convenient  to  yourself.  Once  more,  dear  and 
beloved  sir,  farewell !  The  grace  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  be  with  your  spirit.     Amen.' 

To  this  valedictory  address,  which,  though 
ardent  in  language,  was  insufficient  to  convey  the 
grateful  emotions  of  those  whose  names  were 
affixed  to  it,  Mr.  Thomason,  writing  from  the 
vessel,  which  was  carrying  him  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Hooghly,  returned  this  answer : 

*  Beloved  brethren, 
*  I  am  at  a  loss  adequately  to  express  my  feel- 
ings on  the  perusal  of  your  affectionate  address. 
It  has  in  a  manner  brought  before  me  the  whole 
period  which  has  elapsed  since  I  entered  on  my 
charge  at  the  Old  Church,  and  excited  recollec- 
tions of  occasions  wherein  our  hearts  have  been 
mutually  engaged  in  sweet  counsel,  in  Christian 
fellowship,  and  in  public  worship ;  occasions  most 
important  to  us  all,  and  hereafter  to  be  accounted 
for !  The  retrospect  is  to  me  a  subject  of  deep 
humiliation.     For  though  I  can  truly  say  that  it 


324 


MEMOIR    OF    THE 


has  been  felt  a  great  privilege  to  have  been 
permitted  to  minister  unto  you  so  long,  it  is  my 
grief  that  my  ministry  has  not  been  more  faithful 
and  edifying,  and  that  it  has  been  in  many  respects 
lamentably  defective  ;  so  that  on  a  review^  of  the 
past,  I  do  most  deeply  feel  my  need  of  forgive- 
ness, and  can  only  find  relief  by  casting  myself 
on  the  boundless  mercy  of  God,  even  the  un- 
searchable riches  of  his  grace  in  and  through 
Jesus  Christ. 

*  Yet  the  retrospect  is  also  a  subject  of  heartfelt 
thankfulness  to  God,  arising  out  of  the  hope  that 
the  ministry  has  not  been  wholly  unprofitable.  My 
spirit  has  been  greatly  refreshed  in  witnessing 
your  serious  attention  to  the  word  preached,  and 
the  practical  fruits  which  have  from  time  to  time 
appeared  in  the  congregation.  It  is  a  great  com- 
fort to  have  to  do  with  a  willing,  attentive,  and 
affectionate  people  ;  I  have  enjoyed  that  comfort 
long ;  and  the  pang  of  separation  from  you  is  deep. 
But  how  is  the  separation  alleviated  by  the  consid- 
eration that  my  poor  labours  are  still  remembered 
by  you  with  thankfulness  to  God,  in  reference  to 
the  solid  practical  results  adverted  to  in  your 
address ;  in  your  mentioning  these  results,  and  in 
the  Christian  sentiments  with  which  they  have 
been  accompanied,  I  recognize  fruits  which  cannot 
but  comfort  the  heart  of  a  Christian  minister.  To 
God  be  ascribed  the  glory  of  all  the  good  which 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  325 

may  have  been  received  1  He  is  pleased  to  use 
the  weakest  instruments  for  the  accomplishment 
of  his  gracious  purposes,  that  so  the  excellency  of 
the  power  may  appear  to  be  of  God,  and  not  of 
man. 

*  Another  consideration  greatly  comforts  me  at 
this  time,  arising  from  the  character  of  the  minis- 
try with  which  you  are  now  blessed.  It  is  an 
unspeakable  consolation  to  know  that  you  possess 
ministers  who  abound  in  the  work  of  the  Lord.  I 
leave  you  under  the  care  of  pastors  who  feed  you 
with  knowledge,  and  who  carry  on  all  those  public 
and  private  labours  by  which  churches  are  at  once 
edified,  adorned,  and  enlarged.  May  they  be  long 
continued  to  you,  and  see  much  fruit  of  their 
ministry ;  and  may  the  Lord  grant  you  a  succes- 
sion of  such  ministers,  and  pour  out  his  Holy  Spirit 
to  give  efficacy  to  the  word. 

*  I  have  been  reminded  by  yourselves,  in  a  most 
touching  manner,  of  the  fittest  subject  for  our 
mutual  consideration  on  the  present  occasion ;  and 
would  now,  at  parting,  reiterate  the  exhortation  to 
you  and  myself,  "Prepare  to  meet  thy  God." 
These  separations  on  earth  should  forcibly  draw 
our  attention  to  the  great  day  when  we  shall  meet 
around  the  throne  of  God.     Pray  I  beseech  you, 

for  me,  that  in  the  retirement  of  the  ship,  this  may 

be  my  daily  work,  as  /  hope  to  pray  for  you.     The 

removals  which  take  place  here,  are  comparatively 

28 


326  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

of  little  moment.  Are  we  seriously  preparing  for 
the  great  removal,  when  we  must  all  appear  before 
the  judgment  seat  of  Christ  ?  Have  we  personally 
and  individually  taken  refuge  in  him,  by  hearty 
repentance,  and  triiefaith'l  O  let  us  follow  up  this 
inquiry,  remembering  that  he  that  believeth  on  the 
Son  hath  everlasting  life ;  but  he  that  believeth 
not  the  Son  shall  not  see  life,  but  the  wrath  of 
God  abideth  on  him  !  God  grant  that  we  may  be 
found  of  him  in  peace,  and  may  the  very  God  of 
peace  sanctify  us  wholly;  and  may  our  whole 
spirit  and  soul  and  body  be  preserved  blameless 
unto  the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

'  I  have  only  to  add,  that  the  kind  request  con- 
veyed at  the  end  of  your  letter  has  been  already 
anticipated,  through  the  friendship  of  Mr.  Har- 
rington, to  whom  I  refer  you.  And  now,  beloved 
brethren,  farewell,  the  God  of  peace  who  brought 
again  from  the  dead  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that 
great  Shepherd  of  the  Sheep  through  the  blood  of 
the  everlasting  covenant,  make  you  perfect  in 
every  good  work  to  do  his  will,  working  in  you 
that  which  is  well  pleasing  in  his  sight,  through 
Jesus  Christ,  to  whom  be  glory  for  ever  and  ever. 
Amen.  So  prays  your  most  affectionate  minister 
and  friend, 

Thomas  Thomason/ 
'  On  hoard  the  Pilot  Schooner, 

20th  Feb.  1826.' 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  327 

In  addition  to  these  animating  and  affecting 
testimonies  of  love,  others  of  a  description  by  no 
means  usual,  did  honour  to  the  subject  of  this 
memoir,  on  quitting  the  scene  of  his  devoted 
ministry. 

'  The  encomiums  which  your  Lordship  has  so 
justly  passed,'  the  Governor  General  in  council 
wrote  to  the  Bishop,  '  on  Mr.  Thomason's  exem- 
plary discharge  of  his  ministerial  functions,  and  his 
active  and  beneficent  attention  to  most  of  the  useful 
and  charitable  institutions  of  this  city,  meet  with 
the  most  ready  and  entire  concurrence  of  the 
Governor  General  in  Council.  Mr.  Thomason's 
services  in  the  cause  of  religious  charity  and 
general  usefulness  have  been  so  extensively  benefi- 
cial, that  the  regret  of  the  government  for  his 
departure  from  India  will  be  shared  by  every 
member  of  the  community  who  has  witnessed 
his  indefatigable  exertions  amongst  all  classes  of 
persons  within  the  sphere  of  his  influence  and 
example.' 


328  MEMOIR   OF   THE 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Mr.  Thomason's  hope  of  conveying  his  beloved 
wife  to  England,  and  beholding  her  languid  eye 
again  lighted  up  with  health,  for  a  time  increased 
— but  it  soon  vanished,  or  rather  was  exchanged 
for  that  hope — the  vitality  of  which  is  apparent 
in  death.  The  clouds  of  sorrow  which  then 
descended  on  him,  were  dark  in  the  extreme  ;  but 
gleams  of  light,  visible  to  the  eye  of  faith,  parted 
them  asunder. 

On  Easter-day,  1826,  with  the  keenest  anguish, 
yet  not  without  the  most  animating  confidence, 
he  imparted  to  his  son  in  India  the  afflicting 
intelligence  that  on  earth  he  would  see  his 
mother's  face  no  more. 

Easter-day,  March  26,  1826. 
*  I  feel  it  right  to  lose  no  time  in  communi- 
cating to  you  the  sad  intelligence  of  our  common 
loss.  It  has  pleased  God,  whose  ways  are  un- 
searchable, to  defeat  our  sanguine  hopes.  He 
has  taken  to   himself  your  most  beloved  parent. 


REV.    THOMAS    TH03IAS()N.  329 

Assured  as  I  am  that  it  is  simply  solidly  true 
that  she  is  with  Christ,  it  is  yet  with  anguish 
of  heart  that  I  record  our  irreparable  bereavement. 
O  that  I  might  have  been  spared  the  pain  of  this 
afflicting  communication.  But  it  is  the  will  of 
God,  and  I  desire  to  submit  with  resignation  to 
the  disposal  of  infinite  wisdom.  About  midnight 
on  Good  Friday,  she  w^as  seized  with  the  agonies 
of  dissolution,  which  were  greatly  protracted  ;  she 
did  not  breathe  her  last  till  near  ten  o'clock  the 
following  morning.  About  ten  minutes  before 
ten  on  Saturday  morning,  her  spirit  took  its  flight. 
O  the  unutterable  anguish  of  this  sad — sad  scene  ; 
sad  to  us — but  she  has  joined  the  innumerable 
company  of  glorified  spirits  and  angels — she  died 
in  the  Lord.  Three  days  before  her  death  she 
expressed  to  me  a  strong  hope  that  God  would 
raise  her  up  to  be  a  comfort  to  her  husband 
and  children  ;  "  but  what  if  it  should  please  him 
to  dispose  otherwise,"  I  said ;  '  then,'  said  she 
'his  will  be  done!'  She  added  expressions  of 
dependance  on  her  Saviour,  but  complained  that 
her  heart  was  dull  and  sluggish.  Conversation 
was  highly  injurious,  I  could  only  read  with  her 
at  intervals,  with  a  few  words  of  prayer.  To  a 
question  whether  the  Saviour  comforted  her,  she 
said,  '  he  does.'  Her  countenance  indicated  that 
she  was  much  exercised  in  prayer.  On  Saturday 
evening  her  precious  remains  were  committed  to 
28* 


330  ME3I0IR    OF    THE 

the  deep.  The  evening  was  still,  and  all  was  sol- 
emn ;  the  service  was  read  by  dear  S ,  whose 

brotherly  tenderness  and  sympathy  I  cannot 
adequately  describe.  Being  myself  overwhelmed 
by  the  bereavement,  I  was  unable  to  perform 
that  last  service ;  but  I  saw  from  a  distance  the 
coffin  dropped  into  the  sea,  and  heard  the  words, 
'  We  commit  her  body  to  the  deep,  to  be  turned 
into  corruption,  looking  for  the  resurrection  of  the 
body  (when  the  sea  shall  give  up  her  dead)  and 
the  life  of  the  world  to  come  through  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  who  at  his  coming  shall  change 
our  vile  body,  that  it  may  be  like  unto  his  glorious 
body,  according  to  the  mighty  working,  whereby 
he  is  able  to  subdue  all  things  to  himself.'  O  my 
beloved  boy,  I  cannot  tell  you  the  consolation 
afforded  by  that  hope.  I  earnestly  trust  it  will 
be  as  a  healing  balm  to  your  own  heart.  I  felt 
comfort  in  the  thought  that  the  whole  Christian 
world  were  celebrating  the  death  and  resurrection 
of  Christ.  She  was  committed  to  the  deep  on 
Easter  even,  when  we  commemorate  the  Saviour's 
lying  in  the  grave,  thus  consecrating  it  as  the 
place  of  repose  for  his  faithful  followers,  previous 
to  the  great  and  joyful  day  of  resurrection.  I 
must  not  forget  one  circumstance  that  made  an 
indelible  impression  upon  my  heart.  Before  she 
took  to  her  bed,  your  beloved  mother  sat  and 
read  a  few  hymns.     She  came  at  last  to  the  hymn 


RET.    THOMAS    TIIOMASON,  331 

O  God,  our  help  in  ages  past, 

Our  hope  for  years  to  come, 
Our  shelter  from  the  stormy  blast 

And  our  eternal  home. 

and  never  can  I  forget  the  sweet  affectionate  tone 
of  her  voice.  She  was  deeply  affected.  In  read- 
ing the  second  verse  her  voice  faltered  ;  however 
she  continued  to  get  through,  till  she  came  to 
the  verse 

In  every  scene  of  life  and  death. 

Thy  promise  is  our  trust, 
And  this  shall  be  our  children's  song, 

When  we  are  cold  in  dust. 

In  reading  these  last  lines  she  w^as  quite  over- 
powered. God  grant  this  hope  may  be  realized  ! 
my  heart  springs  toward  you  all  with  a  new 
tenderness.  I  can  only  in  deep  anguish  commit 
you  to  God,  who  I  trust  will  provide  for  you  all 
needful  good.  If  you  seek  him,  he  will  be  found 
of  you — if  you  forsake  him,  he  will  cast  you  off  for 
ever ;  seek  him  earnestly  then ;  read  your  Bible 
more,  I  beseech  you,  with  prayer  for  divine 
teaching.  This  will  consecrate  all  your  other 
labours,  and  will  be  a  fruitful  source  of  happiness 
to  you  here  and  hereafter.' 

In  losing  her  of  whose  death  he  could  write 
with  a  mind  perturbed  with  grief,  yet  calm  with 
resignation,  he  lost  one  eminent  for  meekness, 
lowliness,  spirituality,  and  love,  who  had  indeed 


OOlii  MEMOIR    or    THE 

been  '  a  Dorcas  in  good  works.'  The  Orphan 
Institution  (the  fact  is  narrated  by  a  friend  *  who 
knew  its  truth)  was  the  pecuhar  charge  of  Mrs. 
Thomason,  the  favourite  object  of  her  maternal 
sohcitude ;  nor  has  it  ever  fallen  to  my  lot  to 
visit,  either  in  my  own,  or  in  any  foreign  coun- 
tr\%  a  similar  establishment  where  arrangements 
and  internal  economy  appeared  so  perfect  in 
reference  to  the  spiritual  or  temporal  interests 
of  its  inmates.' 

Sometime  after  its  formation,  the  mistress  was 
removed,  and  an  epidemic  attacked  several  of  the 
children.  Mrs.  Thomason,  unwilling  to  trust  the 
orphans  to  native  management,  left  the  com- 
forts of  her  home,  and  acted  for  some  weeks  as 
the  sole  guardian,  nurse,  and  mother,  of  these 
poor  cliildren.' — Of  an  affectionate,  lovely  spirit 
herself,  'she  naturally  cared '  for  the  present  and 
endless  welfare  of  destitute  children,  and  amongst 
such  was  she  gladly  found — seeking  w^ith  the 
tenderest  assiduity  to  repair  as  far  as  possible, 
the  most  desolating  of  all  privations. 

Well  might  her  husband  rise  up  and  call  her 
blessed  when  in  the  midst  of  his  family  and 
household :  well  might  he  possess  an  assurance 
without  a  cloud  that  whilst  the  deep  closed  round 
about   her   lifeless   body,  her   spirit    through    the 

♦  C.  B.  Elliot,  Esq. 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMPSON.  333 

might  and  merit  of  Jesus  was  walking  in  its  up- 
rightness above  the  skies. 

Mr.  Thomason's  return  to  England  like  many- 
events  that  occur  in  life — was  varied  by  the 
strongest  lights  and  shades.  To  his  great  joy  he 
found  a  mother;  but  he  had  lost  a  wife,  to  his 
indescribable  anguish.  '  Oh  !  it  has  been  a  trying 
dispensation,'  he  said,  '  far  beyond  what  I  could 
have  expected,  whilst  I  only  knew  the  sorrow  from 
report.  She  entered  into  rest — I  was  left  in  a 
state  of  desolation  no  language  can  express.  O 
may  I  ever  remember  the  impressions  and  emo- 
tions, the  tears  and  prayers,  the  sorrows,  the  joys, 
and  mercies,  and  judgments  of  the  voyage.' 

After  visiting  Cambridge  and  Scaleshy  Castle  in 
the  autumn  of  1826,  places  where  memory  was 
acutely  active,  Mr.  Thomason,  when  the  year 
was  on  the  wane,  bent  himself  again  to  his  minis- 
terial services,  in  the  town  of  Cheltenham,  a 
sphere  of  no  common  extent  and  importance. 
There  he  gave  himself  continually  to  prayer  and 
the  ministry  of  the  word ;  and  remembering,  as  in 
India,  a  maxim  taking  its  date  from  the  days  of 
Jerome,  *  that  a  minister  easily  subjects  himself  to 
contempt  who  never  refuses  invitations  to  dinner 
however  frequent,'  adopting  the  other  extreme,  he 
determined  to  live  in  perfect  retirement,  except 
when  professional  duty  called  him  forth.  His 
ministry  in  that  place  received  the  dew  of  that 


334  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

blessing  he  implored  in  prayer.  Of  this  the  fol- 
lowing communication  from  a  member  of  Queen's 
College,  Cambridge,  furnishes  one  interesting 
evidence. 

*  When  passing  by  one  of  the  night  coaches  from 
Cheltenham  to  London,  my  fellow  traveller  was  a 
gentleman  with  two  children  in  deep  mourning. 
They  were  returning  to  their  home  in  a  remote 
part  of  France  which  they  had  left  just  five  weeks 
before.  We  soon  found  that  though  entire  strangers, 
there  was  a  common  ground  on  which  we  could 
meet  as  old  friends.  He  told  me  that  he  and 
his  wife  had  passed  their  lives  in  entire  ignorance 
of  the  gospel,  and  of  the  reality  of  religion.  Cir- 
cumstances, apparently  fortuitous,  had  brought 
them  on  a  visit  to  Cheltenham,  and  they  had 
happened  to  hear  Mr.  Thomason  preach.  His 
sermon  powerfully  arrested  their  attention.  A  day 
or  two  after,  his  wife  caught  a  cold,  sickenec^, 
and  in  three  wrecks  died.  In  her  illness  she  sent 
for  Mr.  Thomason.  The  gospel  was  new  to  them, 
and  they  seemed  to  have  received  it  with  the 
simplicity  of  little  children.  The  dying  woman 
was  convinced  from  Mr.  Thomason's  unwearied 
assiduous  earnestness  in  visiting,  and  his  whole 
manner  so  beaming  with  love,  that  there  must  be 
reality  in  his  religion — and  she  died  peacefully 
resting  on  her  Saviour's  bosom.  Her  husband 
was  returning  "  on  his  way  rejoicing,"  even  to  his 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  335 

desolate  home,  blessing  God  for  providing  a  mes- 
sage of  mercy  for  them,  and  for  having  drawn 
them  so  many  hundred  miles  to  hear  it.' 

During  his  abode  at  Cheltenham,  Mr.  Thomason 
describes  his  paternal  feelings  as  called  into 
delightful  exercise  by  the  sight  of  all  his  children 
around  him,  his  son  from  India  having  joined  him. 
He  speaks  also  of  being  much  moved  at  receiving 
at  the  altar  on  one  occasion  many  whose  names 
were  on  his  heart  before  he  left  England,  or  had 
been  engraven  there  when  absent  from  his  country 
in  a  remote  land. 

At  Cheltenham,  as  in  India,  the  cause  of  the 
heathen  engaged  his  affections  and  energies. 
Besides  attending  meetings  of  his  clerical  breth- 
ren, and  collecting  communicants  for  instruction 
before  the  administration  of  the  sacrament,  he  held 
monthly  assemblies  also,  in  aid  of  the  Church 
Missionary  Society.  Nor  was  the  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Gospel  forgotten.  At  the 
Bishop  of  Litchfield's  desire,  he  was  a  successful 
advocate  in  its  behalf  at  Eccleshall.  In  addition 
to  which  exertions  he  accompanied  his  valued 
friend  and  brother  Dr.  Steinkopff  into  the  West 
of  England  in  support  of  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society ;  esteeming  it  an  especial  favour  to 
plead  in  behalf  of  that  noble  institution  at 
Plymouth,  where  he  first  drew  his  breath. 

In    the    beginning    of    the     year   1828,    Mr, 


336  ME3IOIR   or   THE 

Thomason  was  involved  in  severe  internal  conflict. 
At  Cheltenham  the  field  was  large,  and  the  seed 
was  scattered  widely,  with  hope  of  much  increase; 
but  how  few  labourers  were  there   amongst   the 
heathen !  and  how  could  the  version  of  the  Hin- 
doostanee  Old  Testament  be  perfected  in  England? 
Such  thoughts  arose,  and  after  many  a  struggle 
with  himself,  he  arrived,  as  he  imagined,  at  a  decis- 
ion, and  wrote  to  communicate  it  to  his  mother ; 
but  on  taking  his  letter  to  the  post,  (let  the  rela- 
tion  sink  him  in  the  reader's  estimation  if  it  he 
possible)  his  resolution  he  confesses  wholly  forsook 
him.     At  length  he  was  reconciled  to  the  sacrifice, 
'  after  waverings   and    decisions,    decisions    and 
waverings,'  he  wrote,  '  I  am  reconciled  to  go  back 
to  India.       After  a  sore  conflict  I  have   offered 
myself  for  the  post.'      To  replace  him  however  in 
his  former  situation  was  unprecedented,  and  but 
for  his  high  character  the  situation  could  not  have 
been  obtained.     '  It  was  not  without  difficulty  I 
prevailed,   (they  are  the  words  of  the  Chairman  of 
the  East  India  Company,)    the    objections   were 
founded  on  general  principles.     It  must  be  gratify- 
ing to    you   to    learn   what   I   have  the   greatest 
pleasure  in  stating,  that  high  satisfaction  was  felt 
and  expressed  by  the  Court  at  large,  on  the  pros- 
pect of  the   Company   having  again   the   benefit 
of  your  se-i'vices  in  the  territories  committed  to 
their  charge.' 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  337 

This  measure  fixed,  another  remained  to  be 
taken.  In  the  unanimous  opinion  of  all  Mr. 
Thomason's  relations  and  friends,  before  he  revis- 
ited India,  a  marriage  with  a  person  in  whom 
proper  age,  temper,  sense,  and  piety  combined, 
was  most  expedient.  To  Miss  Dickenson  of 
Liverpool,  therefore,  in  whom  all  these  qualifica- 
tions centered,  he  was  married  with  the  cordial 
concurrence  of  his  whole  family.  Brief  indeed 
was  this  union,  but  Mr.  Thomason  never  ceased 
to  be  filled  with  thankfulness  to  the  God  of  his 
mercies  that  it  had  been  contracted. 

Before  leaving  England  for  ever,  Mr.  Thomason 
visited  Cambridge,  with  what  effect,  as  far  as 
India  was  concerned,  may  be  seen  in  the  fol- 
lowing recital  of  an  interview  with  some  young 
students.  It  is  from  the  pen  of  one  who  was 
himself  present. 

*  During  Mr.  Thomason's  last  visit  to  Cambridge, 
(1828,)  about  twenty  undergraduates  were  invited 
to  join  a  farewell  party  to  him  at  the  Rev.  H. 
Parish's  rooms.  After  breakfast  he  spent  an 
hour  in  giving  us  a  view  of  the  preparatory  studies, 
the  duties,  privations,  and  joys  of  a  chaplain  and 
of  a  missionary  in  India.  Most  of  us,  I  believe, 
must  date  any  distinct  ideas  w^e  may  have  on  the 
subject,  from  that  conversation.  His  graphic 
views  of  the  necessities  of  India — his  statements 
from  experience  of  the  blessedness  of  the  work, 
29 


338  MEMOIR    OF    THE 

kindled  a  missionary  flame  in  many ;  whilst  his 
solemn  warnings  against  secularity  of  motive,  and 
unadvised  hastiness  in  deciding,  were  well  fitted 
to  damp  any  thing  of  mere  animal  fervour,  or 
temporary  excitement. 

'  When  about  to  part,  the  Rev.  W.  B took 

his  hand  and  said,  '  Christian  brother,  we  bid  you 
God  speed,'  and  gave  him  a  parting  blessing. 
Mr.  T.  shook  each  of  us  by  the  hand,  and  said, 
*I  know  not  your  faces,  but  I  shall  be  glad  to 
see  you  in  India  ;  or,  if  not  in  India,  I  shall  hope 
to  meet  and  recognize  all  of  you  in  that  great  day.' 

'Few  of  us  will  forget  his  countenance  at  the 
close  of  our  meeting.  Two  of  the  party  have  since 
gone  to  India  as  chaplains ;  but  they  did  not  see 
Mr.  Thomason.' 

*As  the  time  approaches,  I  feel  as  if  I  were 
taking  a  last  farewell,  anticipating  the  hour  of 
death,  and  the  depression  is  sometimes  great. 
But  I  clearly  see  the  path  of  duty.  If  God  be 
our  God,  he  can  and  will  make  up  every  loss.  I 
desire  to  make  him  my  dwelling-place,  and  to 
expect  all  happiness  and  strength  from  him.'  Such 
was  the  utterance  of  his  emotions  towards  the  end  of 
June,  1828  when  he  was  to  leave  England  for  ever. 

After  a  parting  more  trying  than  that  which 
rent  his  heart  asunder  nearly  twenty  years  before, 
because  more  certainly  final,  Mr.  Thomason  com- 
menced his  voyage,  and  in  little  more  than  four 


REV.    TH03IAS    THOMASON.  339 

months  re-entered  the  scene  of  his  Indian  labours. 
But  it  was  suffering  and  death,  not  Hfe  and  action, 
that  the  Lord,  whose  ways  are  not  as  man's  ways, 
appointed. 

The  following  letter  which  he  wrote  to  his  mother 
from  the  river  Hooghly,  shews  to  what  a  trial  he 
was  subjected,  and  in  what  a  spirit  he  was  enabled 
to  sustain  it.  'Returning  as  he  did  to  what  he 
considered  his  post  in  this  place,'  Archdeacon 
Corrie  observed  in  his  sermon  on  his  death,  '  and 
finding  the  Almighty  thwarting  as  it  were  all  his 
designs,  which  he  had  intended  for  the  advance- 
ment of  divine  truth  and  the  salvation  of  souls  in 
this  land,  he  was  at  first  perplexed  and  anxious 
^t  the  meaning  of  the  afflictive  dispensation.  But 
by  faith  and  prayer,  and  self-examination,  he  was 
at  length  enabled  to  repose  in  the  divine  mercy 
in  a  Saviour,  and  attained  to  a  comfortable  per- 
suasion, that  patience  would  have  its  perfect  work 
in  him.'  Let  the  readers  of  this  letter  to  his 
mothei',  the  last  he  ever  wrote  to  her,  say  whether 
this  hope  was  falsified — what  deep  workings 
of  humiliation — what  strong  faith — what  love — 
what  submission  to  the  will  of  his  God — what 
justifying  of  him  in  an  allotment  so  grievous  to 
flesh  and  blood,  are  manifest !  Who  can  peruse 
it  without  exclaiming,  'blessed  is  the  man  whom 
Thou  chastenest,  O  Lord,  and  teachest  him  out  of 
thy  law.' 


340  MEMOIR   OF   THE 


River  Hooghly,  April  7,  1829. 
*  Whilst  proceeding  down  the  river  to  the  Isle 
of  France,  let  me  sit  down  and  give  you  some 
tidings  of  myself  in  my  own  handwriting.  Almost 
ever  since  my  arrival,  I  have  been  under  medical 
treatment,  having  brought  a  complaint  with  me, 
(which  proved  to  be  water  in  the  chest,)  which 
brought  me  very  low,  even  to  the  borders  of  the 
grave.  My  sufferings  were  great  day  and  night, 
and  the  medical  attendant  had  no  hope  of  my 
recovery.  It  pleased  God,  however,  in  a  wonder- 
ful manner  to  bless  the  means  used ;  but  the 
■process  has  so  emaciated  my  frame,  that  it  was 
absolutely  necessary  I  should  seek  complete 
restoration  by  change  of  climate.  A  ship  being 
at  hand  sailing  for  the  Mauritius,  preparations 
were  made  without  loss  of  time,  and  we  are  now^ 
on  our  way  down  the  river.  The  progress  of  my 
convalescence  has  been  astonishing.  So  great  is 
the  goodness  of  God  !  The  six  w^orst  months  in 
Calcutta,  are  now  beginning ;  so  that  it  were 
impossible  (humanly  speaking)  for  a  frame 
reduced  like  mine,  to  gather  strength,  except  by 
removing  to  a  more  bracing  air  and  climate.  The 
doctors  are  decidedly  opposed  to  my  residing  any 
longer  in  India.  Much  will  depend  on  the  nature 
and  degree  of  recovery.  If  it  should  please 
God  to  raise  me  up  again,  I  see  not  why  I  should 


REV.    T1I03IAS    THOMASON.  341 

not  make  another  attempt.      Yet,  at  the  present 
moment   I   find  it  impossible  to  decide.     May  I 
be   directed   for  the   best — and    my  spared    life, 
wherever  spent  (if  it  be  spared)  exhibit  the  fruit 
of  this  affliction.      Through  these  painful  months 
I  have  been  much  exercised  in  mind  ;  and  when  in 
the  near  prospect  of  eternity,  could  at  no  time  rise 
to  any  great  joy.     My  soul,  through  the  mercy  of 
God,  could  cast  itself  upon  the  Saciour,  and  there 
repose.      But  Oh  !    how  in  the  retrospect  of  my 
past  life,  did  I  see  cause  to  weep ;    and  in  what 
an  affecting  manner  were  the  sins  of  my  youth 
and  more  advanced  age  set  before  me  !    How  was 
I  shocked  at  the  foolish  chattering,  and  the  defiled 
superficial  statements  with  which  the  deep  things 
of  God  had   been  handled  !     Very  great  and  glo- 
rious they  then  appeared  to  me,  and  I  pray  that 
the  impression  may  be  deep  and  permanent.      I 
seemed    to    have    heard    of  God   only  with    the 
hearing    of   the    ear,   and    now    that    mine    eye 
saw     him     more     nearly,     I     abhorred     myself. 
During  this  whole  season  of  suffering,  great  was 
the   mercy  of  God   to  me.      The  attendance   of 
my  wife   and  children  was  most   touching;    and 
the    keen   solicitude   expressed    by  the    members 
of  the    congregation  was   soothing  to  the    heart. 
Though  I  felt  myself  to  be  utterly  unworthy  of 
their  love,  yet  I  could  not  but  consider  it  as  an 
evidence  that  my  labour  had  not  been  altogether 
29* 


342  MEMOIR    OF   THE 

vain.     I  could  appeal  to  the  heart-searching  God, 
as  to  the  sincerity  of  my  heart,  in  desiring  rather 
to  be  taken  away  at  once,  than  to  go  on  in  the 
same  superficial,  unprofitable  way  I  had  hitherto 
done.     If  it  please  him  to  restore  me  to  work,  I 
pray  that  the  fruit  of  this  visitation  may  appear. 
Little  did    I   think  when  I  last  wrote   from   this 
neighbourhood,  that   I    should   so  soon   be   com- 
pelled to  retrace  my  steps.     It  seemed  on  reach- 
ing the   sand    heads,   and   hearing  of   the    state 
of  things,  that  I   had  come  back* to  Calcutta  in 
the  very  moment  of  time,  that  nothing  could  be 
more  seasonable,  nothing  more  indicative  of  prov- 
idential guidance;   that    I  was,  in  short,  just  the 
person  that  was  wanted  to  fill  up  the  gap.     Thou 
blind  fool,  said  God,  go  hack  again,  and  know  that 
my  work  wants  you  not.     So  I  interpret  the  pro- 
vidence by  which  I  am  sent  back  from  the  place 
to  which  my  heart  had  clung.     God  will  do  his 
work  with  hallowed  instruments.     I  pray  that  he 
may  sanctify  and  make  me  meet   for  his  work, 
and  feel  that  he  is  righteous  in  all  his  ways,  and 
holy  in  all  his  works.      In  the  retirement  of  this 
cabin,  I  trust   the  Lord  will  deepen  his  work  in 
my  heart.      After  going  so  far   to   unite  my  son 
and    daughter     in     marriage,    I    feared,    I    quite 
expected   to  be  removed   from  them  before   the 
ceremony  was  performed.     Two  days  after,  we 
hastened  back  to  Calcutta,  in  order  that  I  might 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  343 

obtain  the  best  medical  help.  Arrived  at  Cal- 
cutta, I  for  the  first  time  learned  the  real  nature 
of  my  complaint.  Though  I  perceive  you 
become  increasingly  weak,  yet  your  spirits  are 
supported,  and  you  continue  to  enjoy  in  your 
usual  way  the  manifold  blessings  of  God.  Beloved 
and  honoured  Mr.  Simeon  will  read  this,  and 
pray  that  my  spared  life  may  be  consecrated  anew 
to  God.'  ^ 

The  voyage  to  the  Mauritius  proved  benefi- 
cial to  Mr.  Thomason,  and  she  who  accompanied 
him  had  brighter  hopes  of  his  recovery ;  but  when 
the  anchor  was  dropped  at  Port  Louis,  June  7, 
which  proved  to  be  his  birth-day,  alarms  and 
fears  greatly  exceeded  favourable  expectations. 
For  himself,  he  was  '  quietly  waiting  the  Lord's 
will  in  a  humble,  patient,  thankful  peace  of  mind, 
full  of  praise,  yet  lying  low  at  the  feet  of  Jesus.' 
And  on  Sunday  June  21,  twelve  days  after  land- 
ing in  the  Isle  of  France,  his  earthly  tabernacle 
was  dissolved,  and  his  spirit  numbered  amongst/ 
the  just  made  perfect. 

*0n  Saturday  morning  the  20th,'  it  is  from 
her  pen  who  watched  over  him  with  unre- 
mitting tenderness,  "  his  cough  and  breathing 
became  worse,  which  intimated  that  his  change 
was  drawing  near ;  he  requested  me  to  read 
the  appointed  Psalms  for  the  morning,  (as  was 
my  frequent  custom,)   the  first  of   which    being 


344  ME:iioia  of  the 

the  102d,  he  said,  'how  descriptive  of  my 
case.'  On  Sunday  he  had  a  very  suffering  day, 
but  his  mind  was  composed,  he  was  quite  sen- 
sible his  end  was  approaching,  and  his  frequent 
prayer  was  for  patience :  yet  indeed  he  was  an 
example  of  patient  suffering :  tow'ards  the  evening 
I  perceived  evident  signs  of  approaching  disso- 
lution, and  therefore  requested  a  Christian  friend 
to  be  with  me  at  the  closing  scene;  he  can  bear 
witness  with  myself,  to  the  firm  faith  and  strong 
hope  which  disarmed  death  of  its  sting,  and  shed 
a  holy  quiet  and  peace  around. 

'Many  sweet  expressions  we  heard  from  his 
dying  lips,  in  the  midst  of  severe  bodily  agony, 
such  as  the  following,  '  This  is  a  dark  valley,  but 
there's  light  at  the  end.'  "  Thanks  be  unto  God 
for  his  unspeakable  gift."  '*Lord  Jesus,  receive 
my  spirit."  '  Lord  give  me  patience,  may 
patience  have  its  perfect  work.'  "  When  thou 
hadst  overcome  the  sharpness  of  death,  thou 
didst  open  the  kingdom  of  heaven  to  all  believ- 
ers." About  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  he 
inquired  what  time  it  was,  and  when  told,  he 
replied,  '  I  thought  I  should  have  been  far  away 
before  this.'  He  complained  of  a  sharp  pain  in  his 
heels,  and  also  at  the  back  of  his  head,  which 
reminded  of  the  first  great  blessed  promise 
vouchsafed  to  fallen  man.  He  seemed  to  watch 
the  progress  of  death  as  it  advanced  up  his  cold 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  345 

legs.  He  asked  why  there  was  not  a  candle  in 
the  room,  on  being  told  there  was,  he  said,  '  Oh, 
then,  I  am  losing  my  sight,  for  it  appears  dark.' 
After  a  slight  convulsion,  I  saw  his  change  was 
near,  and  said  to  him,  '  The  Lord  is  coming 
quickly,'  he  replied  with  a  smile,  '  I  hope  so.' 
Shortly  after  this  his  heart  ceased  to  beat,  his 
spirit  fled,  and  he  entered  the  joy  of  the  Lord.' 

*  During  the  voyage  from  Calcutta  to  this  island, 
(the  narrative  proceeds,)  a  period  of  nine  weeks, 
in  which  that  season  of  the  year  was  included, 
wherein  we  commemorate  our  Saviour's  Death, 
Resurrection,  and  Ascension,  he  read  twice  over 
the  Harmony  of  the  Gospels,  which,  as  he  intently 
perused,  he  frequently  said,  '  I  have  been  feast- 
ing on  the  bread  of  life.'  He  appeared  sometimes 
to  be  absent  from  all  earthly  scenes  ;  so  elevated 
was  his  soul  with  meditation  on  the  boundless 
love  of  God  in  Christ,  which  was  heightened  by 
a  deep  sense  of  his  own  vileness  :  indeed,  this 
characteristic  much  increased  as  he  ripened  for 
glory :  he  lamented  his  great  defect  in  every 
relative  duty,  in  his  ministerial  office  especially; 
and  in  deep  humility  of  heart  used  to  break  out  in 
the  publican's  prayer,  and  frequently  said,  '  I 
cast  myself  on  the  boundless  mercy  of  God.  I 
throw  myself  at  my  Saviour's  feet  ;  if  I  perish,  I 
perish  there.' 

'  He  was  very  earnest  in  his  petitions  at  the 


346 


MEMOIR    OF   THE 


throne  of  grace  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  India, 
for  the  coming  of  Christ's  kingdom,  and  the 
fulfilment  of  those  prophecies  relating  to  it.  He 
left  an  affectionate  farewell  to  those  most  dear  to 
him,  in  the  following  words, — *  To  my  dearest 
mother,  give  my  most  affectionate  love,  and  may 
her  last  days  be  her  best  days.  To  my  very  dear 
Mr.  Simeon  say,  I  feel  unworthy  of  the  great 
love  he  has  at  all  times  honoured  me  with.  Oh 
may  his  bow  abide  in  strength,  and  may  he  be,  if 
possible,  still  more  useful  in  his  age.' 

After  this  account  of  Mr.  Thomason's  death, 
and  the  previous  memoir  of  his  life,  a  delineation 
of  his  character  may  perhaps  be  superfluous.  Let 
the  reader,  however,  allow  the  attempt ;  granting 
to  the  writer  this  concession,  that  what  he  says  he 
honestly  believes  to  be  true.  He  would  not  deliber- 
ately overcharge  a  single  statement.  He  would  in 
fairness  turn  the  medal  if  he  could.  He  knew  little 
of  Mr.  Thomason  personally  ;  his  acquaintance 
with  him  is  from  letters  and  friends,  from  neither 
of  which  sources  can  he  obtain  any  information 
which  in  balancing  his  qualities  can  be  placed  on 
the  unfavourable  side. 

Of  one  of  the  Fathers  of  the  Church,  it  was 
said,  *  that  he  thundered  in  public,  and  light- 
ened in  private.'  Nothing  of  this  kind  can  be 
predicted  of  Mr.  Thomason :  his  excellences 
were  of  another   description ;    their    lustre   was 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  347 

soft  and  mild,  calculated  to  attract,  rather  than 
to  dazzle  and  confound.  Viewed  intellectu- 
ally, his  capacity  was  not  an  ordinary  one  : 
these  two  sinews  of  the  mind,  attention  and 
retention,  he  possessed  in  much  perfection.  His 
power  of  acquiring  languages,  and  imbibing 
science,  was  remarkable.  '  His  talents  were 
characterized  rather  by  quickness  of  apprehension 
than  originality  of  thought ;  by  a  facility  in 
making  himself  acquainted  with  discoveries,  than 
by  pursuing  them  to  their  ultimate  results.'  Such 
is  Mr.  Jerram's  guage  of  his  mental  strength, 
from  which  few  readers,  it  is  conceived,  wmII 
dissent  materially. 

For  sweetness  of  temper  and  simplicity  of  spirit, 
he  was  distinguished.  '  There  was  not  a  shadow 
of  guile  or  of  artifice  in  him,'  are  Mr.  Jerram's 
words — '  he  w'ns  as  transparent  as  glass,  his  very 
countenance  and  manner  invited  freedom.'  This 
artlessness  continued  through  life  in  its  earliest  and 
freshest  fragrancy.  With  some  it  is  a  flower  that 
closes  at  noon,  and  droops  at  least  toward  evening ; 
with  him  the  petals  were  expanded,  and  the 
odours  emitted  till  his  sun  w^ent  down.  This 
childlike  openness  may  have  given  rise  to  mis- 
conceptions— it  may  have  furnished  a  handle  to 
misrepresentations.  Yet  how  preferable,  with 
all  its  weaknesses  and  disadvantages,  to  sus- 
picious reserve  or  artful   concealment !     Hilarity 


348  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

and  cordiality  of  feeling  are  generally  found 
in  this  combination — they  were  so  here.  Apathy 
did  not  chill  his  affections,  nor  did  gloom  settle 
as  a  cloud  upon  his  mind.  There  was  in  him 
an  uncommon  absence  of  selfish  propensities. 
Generosity  was  the  very  sunshine  of  his  soul, 
irradiating  his  whole  spirit  and  conduct.  To  an 
undue  love  for  money,  he  had  the  noblest  supe- 
riority. With  what  vivid  pleasure  did  he  reim- 
burse the  Elland  Society,  as  he  repaid  also  the 
Evangelical  fund  in  India  what  had  been  ex- 
pended on  him,  when  he  arrived  in  that  destitute 
condition.  Sums  of  no  small  magnitude  he  con- 
tributed towards  orphans,  adopting  one  into  his 
family,  and  subscribing  munificently  towards  that 
institution  for  orphans,  of  which  he  was  the  foun- 
der. To  all  who  were  desolate  and  distressed,  he 
was  bountiful,  not  only  according  to  his  power,  but 
beyond  his  power.  Were  excess  in  any  thing  attri- 
butable to  him,  it  would  be  with  respect  to  his  libe- 
rality ;  for  so  largely  did  he  give,  and  so  little  did 
he  save,  that  the  expenses  of  his  compulsory  and 
distressing  voyage  to  England  very  nearly  ex- 
hausted his  funds.  Bountifulness  is  sometimes 
tarnished  by  a  tenacity  for  supposed  rights,  and 
by  a  readiness  to  resent  imaginary  wrongs.  Mr. 
Thomason  was  naturally  gentle  and  yielding ;  when 
God's  grace  therefore  sanctified  and  directed  this 
disposition,  few  were  more  detached  from  enmity 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  349 

in  all  its  modifications.  Smarting  under  the 
unkindness  of  a  companion  in  early  life,  he  took 
the  first  opportunity  of  speaking  well  of  him, 
having  found  by  experience  that  the  exercise  of 
kindly  feeling  tended  to  sustain  and  strengthen 
the  habit.  In  later  life,  when  wounded  most 
acutely  and  undeservedly,  having  dispatched  an 
account  drawn  up  with  great  moderation  to  a 
confidential  friend,  he  quickly  followed  it  up  by 
a  letter  expressive  of  anxiety,  lest  a  word  should 
have  been  uttered  with  acrimony.  Love  towards 
man  was  a  prominent  part  of  his  original  tem- 
perament ;  and  when  this  was  grafted  into  that 
stock  of  all  that  is  excellent,  the  love  of  God  in 
Christ,  abundant  and  delightful  fruits  were  pro- 
duced. What  but  this  led  him  so  frequently  to 
the  houses  of  the  poor,  and  made  the  instruction 
of  little  children  so  pleasant  to  him  ?  What  but 
this  exalted  his  avocations  as  a  student  and  tutor 
and  refined  as  well  as  augmented  his  domestic 
joys  ?  This  it  was  that  caused  him  to  excel  as 
a  master,  a  husband,  a  father,  a  friend,  above  all, 
as  a  son  ;  for  when  did  filial  piety  ever  shine 
more  brightly  and  more  constantly  than  in  him? 
The  principle  of  divine  love  it  was,  that  controlled 
his  passions,  directed  his  faculties,  and  deter- 
mined the  whole  man  for  God.  In  possession 
of  every  earthly  gratification  at  Shelford,  when 
he  seemed  to  hear  that  voice,  "  Get  thee  out 
30 


350  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

from  thy  country  and  thy  kindred,"  his  obedience 
was  prompt  and  unhesitating;  without  lingering 
or  looking  back,  he  went  forth  amongst  the 
heathen  in  the  spirit  of  an  evangelist.  How 
patiently  did  he  bear  all  the  trials  and  discourage- 
ments, all  the  heat  and  burthen  of  Indian  labour — 
finding  spiritual  support  in  that  very  work  which 
undermined  his  constitution,  and  brought  him 
ultimately  to  his  grave.  In  heavenly  love,  truly 
he  resembled  those  *  trees  that  are  full  of  sap — 
even  the  cedars  of  Lebanon,  which  the  Lord  hath 
planted,'  and  those  who  estimate  greatness  by 
that  test — *  Ille  vere  magnus  est  qui  magnam  habet 
caritaterh' — which,  be  it  remembered,  is  the  scrip- 
tural assay,  will  not  refuse  him  the  denomination 
of  a  great  man.  Such  a  title  he  himself  would 
have  repudiated  and  disclaimed  ;  for  if  ever  man 
was  humble,  he  was  so — unaffectedly — deeply — 
increasingly.  Those  vices  which  pollute  the 
springs  of  life,  and  which  impart  to  the  dregs  of 
earthly  existence  an  inexpressible  bitterness, 
he  had  mercifully  escaped ;  his  boyhood  was 
devoted  to  God — his  youth  was  unspotted — his 
after  life  conspicuous  for  sancity — yet  whose 
confessions  more  contrite?  whose  reliance  on  the 
Saviour  of  the  lost  more  simple?  Realizing 
to  his  peace  and  comfort  his  privileges  as  a 
believer  in  Christ  Jesus,  he  could  never  forget 
that  he  was  in  himself  a  being  deeply  fallen,  and 


REV.    THOMAS   THOMASON.  351 

continually  offending:  aspiring  after  perfection 
with  his  whole  heart,  he  was  on  that  very  account 
so  much  the  more  conscious  that  '  the  Httle  fruit  he 
had  in  hoHness,'  accepted  as  it  was  of  God  for 
Christ's  sake,  was  in  itself  corrupt,  and  unsound ;' 
he  '  challenged  nothing  for  it,  he  put  no  trust  in  it.' 
Before  man  too,  as  well  as  God,  he  was  lowly — 
what  undissembled  pain  in  his  breast  did  the 
union  of  his  own  name  with  that  of  Henry 
Martyn  on  one  occasion  create  !  Martyn's  name 
he  thought  could  not  be  too  honourably  and  fre- 
quently remembered ;  his  own  could  not  be  too 
much  disregarded  and  forgotten.  Towards  his 
first  diocesan,  with  whom  he  did  not  concur  in 
points  of  doctrine — his  deference  was  as  complete 
as  was  consistent  with  a  paramount  uncomprom- 
ising obedience  to  his  own  conscience.  What 
he  was  as  a  minister,  that  parting  address  from 
his  flock  at  Calcutta,  after  an  experience  of  his 
watchful  care  for  seventeen  years,  declares  and 
proves.  Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of  God  in  all  his 
mediatorial  and  essential  glory,  was  the  grand 
subject  of  his  preaching  from  the  commencement 
to  the  conclusion  of  his  course.  As  a  preacher, 
no  one  could  be  more  exempt  than  he  from  that 
sinful  morbid  appetite  for  popularity  which, 
however  highly  esteemed  by  men,  is  an  abomi» 
nation  in  the  sight  of  God.  It  is  aflirming  much, 
yet  it  is  no  exaggeration  to  affirm,  that  he  had 


352  MEMOIR   OF   THE 

not  a  spark  of  that  most  odious  of  all  hateful  corrup- 
tions, MINISTERIAL  ENVY.  Had  any  one  obtained 
in  his  church  at  Calcutta  more  acceptance  than 
himself,  he  would  not  have  been  tortured  by 
contemptible  jealousies,  rather  would  he  have 
glorified  God  in  the  endowments  and  success 
of  a  brother  beloved  in  the  Lord.  It  is  almost 
needless  to  say,  that  the  externals  of  a  morality 
vicious,  because  unprincipled,  the  sallies  of  a 
vain,  corrupt,  intrusive  imagination,  that  talk  of 
the  lips  that  tendeth  only  to  penury,  the  masked 
pretences  of  a  hypocritical  profession,  Mr.  Thom- 
ason  spurned  as  so  many  forms  of  godliness 
without  its  power.  He  could  well  distinguish 
also,  and  knew  how  to  press  the  fundamental 
verities  of  the  everlasting  gospel.  Practically 
accordant  was  his  teaching  with  that  admirable 
exhortation  of  Baxter  * — '  If  we  can  teach  Christ 
to  our  people,  we  teach  them  all.  Get  them  well 
to  heaven  and  they  will  have  knowledge  enough. 
The  plainest  and  most  commonly  acknowledged 
truths  ai'e  what  men  live  most  upon :  these  are 
the  great  instruments  in  destroying  sin  and  raising 
the  heart  to  God.  To  remember  that  one  thing  is 
needful  will  take  us  off  from  needless  ornaments 
and  unprofitable  controversies.  Many  other  things 
are  desirable  to  be  known,  but  these  must  be 
known,  or  else  our  people  are  undone  for  even 

*  Reformed  Pastor. 


REV.    THOMAS    THOMASON.  353 

Necessity  should  be  a  great  disposer  of  a  minister's 
studies  and  labours.  If  we  were  sufficient  for 
every  thing,  we  might  undertake  every  thing  ;  but 
life  is  short  and  we  are  dull.  Eternal  things  are 
necessary,  and  the  souls  that  depend  on  our 
teaching  are  precious.'  Mr.  Thomason  fed  those 
committed  to  his  charge  with  that  bread  of  life — 
he  called  them  to  that  water  of  life — which  were 
the  daily  sustenance  and  refreshment  of  his  own 
soul.  Personal  and  ministerial  religion  in  him 
were  well  combined.  No  one  was  more  vigilant 
than  he  in  maintaining  that  due  and  proper 
adjustment  between  devotional  meditation  and 
study  within,  and  active  employment  without,  in 
the  neglect  of  which,  no  minister  can  prosper  in 
his  own  soul,  or  in  his  ministry. 

In  dealing  with  those  committed  to  his  care, 
he  justly  merited  that  high  commendation,  '  maluit 
videri  invenisse  bones  quam  fecisse.'  Amongst  his 
people  he  was  gentle  as  a  nurse  that  cherisheth  her 
own  children.  Truth  in  his  mouth  could  not  lose 
its  native  keenness  ;  but  as  employed  by  him,  its 
edge  did  not  lacerate ;  its  point  was  sharp  but 
not  envenomed.  He  had  no  tendency  to  asperity  ; 
it  was  foreign  to  his  nature :  his  danger  lay  prob- 
ably in  an  opposite  direction,  the  fear  of  dis- 
pleasing others.  Yet  so  completely  in  God's 
strength  had  he  triumphed  over  himself,  that  he 
would  not  suffer  a  Governor  General  of  India  to 


a54 


MEMOIR   OP   THE 


violate  the  Sabbath  without  offering  a  remon- 
strance ;  and  continually  was  he  forcing  into  the 
light  of  his  conscience  the  obligations  of  England 
to  the  people  of  Hindostan.  With  all  his  zeal,  he 
was  neither  precipitate  nor  pertinacious  ;  on  the 
contrary,  he  was  prudent  and  circunnspect ;  wit- 
ness his  adoption  of  written  for  extemporaneous 
discourses,  when  he  thought  they  awakened  preju- 
dice ;  and  especially  his  measured  caution  in  all  he 
designed  for  the  benefit  of  India. 

Archdeacon  Robinson,  in  giving  to  the  public 
the  last  days  of  Bishop  Heber,  records  this  testi- 
mony of  the  Bishop.* 

'  He  talked  this  evening  much  about  Thomason, 
for  whom  he  has  a  high  respect  and  regard.  He 
frequently  mentions  the  difl[iculty,  the  impossi- 
bility of  supplying  his  place  in  Calcutta,  in  the 
pulpit,  in  the  schools,  in  the  study,  and  (which  he 
thinks  in  the  present  fermenting  state  of  public 
feeling  in  the  church  more  important  than  any)  in 
that  general  pervading  influence  of  just  and 
steady  judgment  in  the  members  who  are  per- 
sonally attached  to  him.' 

The  rank  he  occupied  as  an  oriental  scholar  and 
translator  of  the  Scriptures  was  very  high.  In 
Persian,  Arabic,  Hindoostanee,  and  Hebrew 
above  all,  his  erudition  has  seldom  been  surpassed ; 

♦  See  Last  Days  of  Bishop  Heber. 


REV.    THOMAS   THOMASON.  355 

and  in  effecting  a  version  of  the  greater  portion 
of  the  Old  Testament  into  one  of  the  most  widely 
diffused  languages  of  the  East,  in  proclaiming  the 
truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  in  season  and  out  of  season ; 
fulfilling  gladly  the  ministry  he  had  received,  he 
consecrated  his  time  and  talents  to  what  he 
justly  deemed  the  sublimest  ends:  Had  all  the 
distinctions  that  stimulate  the  exertions  of  the 
ambitious,  that  crown  their  efforts,  inflate  their 
imaginations,  or  colour  their  dreams,  been  within 
his  grasp,  he  would  have  accounted  them  as  the 
chaff  of  the  summer  threshing-floor,  the  foam 
upon  the  wave,  compared  with  the  unmerited 
honour  of  being  allowed  and  enabled  by  God  to 
be  a  messenger  of  mercy  to  mankind  ;  an  instru- 
ment of  communicating  the  word  of  life  to  myriads 
in  the  region  of  the  shadow  of  death. 

What  Mr.  Thomason  performed  could  not  have 
been  accomplished,  had  not  his  mind  been  im- 
pressed with  the  solemn  and  habitual  recollection, 
that  ^^opportunity  is  the  flower  of  time ;^^  and 
that  the  moments  as  they  passed  should  be 
redeemed  for  God.  Even  when  at  school,  such 
was  his  diligence  and  self-denial,  that  he  would 
save  the  slender  pittance  of  his  pocket  money 
to  buy  oil  that  he  might  read  Hebrew  in  the 
evening,  and  whatever  he  undertook  in  after  life 
was  done  in  fervency  of  spirit  for  the  honour  of 
God.     That  ^inertise  dulcedo*  which  is  so  fasci- 


356  MEMOIR   OF   THE    REV.    T.    THOMA.SON. 

nating  and  so  deadly,  either  for  him  had  slight 
allurements,  or  they  were  fully  overcome.  No 
loiterer  was  he  in  his  sacred  vocation  :  he  was  the 
very  opposite ;  a  labourerer,  cheerful,  patient,  per- 
severing, his  heart  lifted  up  to  the  Lord — his  hand 
upon  the  plough — his  eye  on  the  furrow.  And 
now  in  the  presence  of  the  Lord  of  the  harvest, 
he  reaps  the  blissful  fruit  of  his  unwearied  labours, 
angels  and  the  redeemed  rejoicing  in  his  joy,  and 
and  all  with  one  accord  ascribing  incessant  praises 
to  the  God  of  grace  and  glory. 

^- 


THE   END. 


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*'V 


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